Driver faces terror charges after 15 minutes of gunfire in Paris suburbs

The violence began on Friday in Trappes, a town south-west of Paris, where a man fired from a moving vehicle for approximately 15 minutes. The attack killed one person and wounded five others, including a 12-year-old girl. President Emmanuel Macron visited the scene later that day and described the incident as a racist terrorist attack. He stated that it represented a turning point for the nation and marked the first time France had experienced a random racial killing of this specific nature.

The suspect, identified by French media as Kevin T, is 39 years old. Prosecutors at the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office filed charges for murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise. They also brought charges for possession of a Category A weapon, a class that includes military-grade arms and weapons capable of firing in bursts. The office added a charge of conspiracy with a terrorist group to prepare crimes against persons. T had four previous convictions that were automatically expunged, and local media reported he was known to police but not to intelligence services. A member of his immediate family was also taken into custody on Friday.

Witnesses described a grey Renault Clio driving through several neighborhoods. The gunman targeted a petrol station, a medical centre, and a playground in Trappes before moving to the neighboring town of La Verrière. He was detained on the main road in La Verrière. Ali Rabeh, the mayor of Trappes, said the driver fired randomly in an attempt to cause as many casualties as possible. Rabeh noted that the attacker wanted to cause carnage.

Macron said during his visit that victims were singled out because of their skin colour or religion. He urged the public not to give an inch against ideologies taking root. The precise motive remains under investigation, though the prosecutor's office told BFMTV that the suspect was not on a list of people regarded as a serious threat to French security. A local police chief told BFMTV that the suspect used an older-style semi-automatic weapon. Le Parisien reported that the firearm dated back to World War Two.

Three of the wounded are in serious condition. One of them is a 12-year-old girl who suffered eight gunshot wounds and required surgery. Her mother told broadcaster RTL that her daughter had been wearing a headscarf at the time. The mother asked how anyone could do this to a child. She said her daughter was born in Trappes and has the right to live in France and make her life there. The girl was among those targeted while playing in a playground.