Shooting near Paris a 'racist terrorist attack' - Macron

Updated / Friday, 23 Oct 2026 14:44

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A gunman firing from his car has killed one person and wounded four others in the Paris suburb of Trappes, authorities said, with prosecutors investigating the case as a potential "terrorist" act.

The man, who was arrested shortly after, was "firing at random, wanting to cause a bloodbath" as he drove through Trappes and neighbouring La Verrière, Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh told broadcaster BFMTV.

A 12-year-old girl was "seriously wounded" after being shot eight times, but is in stable condition, Mayor of La Verrière Nicolas Dainville told AFP.

The alleged shooter - a 39-year-old man, according to a source familiar with the case - was arrested in the nearby town of Coignières.

Mr Rabeh said that while the man was firing in a "relatively random" manner, the person killed was "of African origin" and one of the wounded, "in critical condition, is of north African origin".

The mayor added he did not want to say anything "definitive" about the motive yet, but added that it was a "miracle" that there were not more casualties.

The anti-terrorism prosecutor's office said its investigation included looking at whether the shooting was a terrorist act, or if it was racially or religiously motivated.

Prosecutors said they have opened an investigation for "murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise".

They added they were investigating whether the acts targeted the "real or supposed race, ethnicity, nationality or religion" of the victims.

A police source told AFP that the man had fired in bursts from his vehicle around 10:30 am (9:30am Irish time).

Samy, a resident of Trappes, about 20 kilometers west of Paris, told AFP he saw a body on the ground from his window.

His mother, he said, saw a grey Renault Clio car speeding by and heard "loud bangs".

'Terrible ordeal'

Writing on X, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the case was "very serious" and that "all resources of the security forces and the judiciary are fully mobilised".

French President Emmanuel Macron said "the nation is standing with" the victims of this "terrible ordeal".

The shooting comes at a moment of particular ‌tension in France, after nationwide protests turned violent last Saturday.

More protests are expected this weekend, with police promising a larger presence after a week of overnight curfews put in place in cities throughout the country.

Trappes experienced its own tension after a teacher there reported receiving threats after writing that the state did not do enough to protect another teacher, Samuel Paty.

Mr Paty was beheaded by a radical Islamist in 2020 in another Paris suburb after he showed his class caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.