One person has been killed and five others wounded, including three seriously, after a series of shootings in two towns near Paris, with French authorities investigating the incident as a suspected terrorist attack.
The shootings occurred on Friday in Trappes and nearby La Verrière, south-west of the French capital. The rampage lasted nearly 15 minutes, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. A 12-year-old girl was among those injured.
The suspected gunman has been arrested, but authorities have not yet established a motive for the attack.
France’s National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) said the incident appeared to involve “murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise”.
Speaking to reporters in Trappes, Nuñez described the incident as a terrorist crime, referring to the prosecutor’s assessment.
Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said the attacker drove through several neighbourhoods in a grey Renault Clio, firing at people he encountered along the way.
According to the mayor, the shootings occurred at several locations, including a petrol station, a medical centre and a playground, before the suspect continued towards La Verrière.
Rabeh said the gunman appeared to have fired indiscriminately, seemingly intending to cause as many casualties as possible.
A police union official said the suspect was detained in La Verrière along the N10 road, which runs through the town.
The attack has prompted a terrorism investigation as authorities work to establish the circumstances surrounding the shootings, the suspect’s motive and whether others were involved.
