Trappes Shooter Arrested After 15-Minute Rampage, Officials Say

A gunman fired bursts from a moving car in the Paris suburb of Trappes on Friday morning, killing one person and wounding five others, including a 12-year-old girl, according to officials. President Emmanuel Macron later met residents and described the shooting as "a racist terror attack," saying the suspect's own statements indicated planning. "These people were targeted because of their skin color or perceived religion, and for no other reason," Macron said. "There is no place for this in France."

Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh told broadcaster BFMTV that the suspect drove through Trappes and neighboring La Verriere, "firing at random, wanting to cause a bloodbath." Rabeh said the gunman approached people at three sites, one of them a playground, and called it a "miracle" that more people were not hurt. He characterized the episode as an attempted mass killing with "racist, likely Islamophobic, overtones."

A police source told Agence France-Presse the shooting began around 10:30 a.m. local time and lasted just under 15 minutes. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the firearm appeared to be military grade or at least automatic, and that five anti-crime brigade officers ended the attack. The suspect was arrested in the nearby town of Coignieres. Samy, a Trappes resident, said he saw a body on the ground from his window and that his mother watched a gray Renault Clio speed past while hearing "loud bangs."

Officials first counted four wounded, then Rabeh put the number at five, with three in serious condition and at risk of dying. La Verriere mayor Nicolas Dainville told AFP the 12-year-old girl was shot eight times and is in stable condition. Rabeh said the person who died was "of African origin" and that one critically injured victim is of North African origin.

Prosecutors opened an investigation for "murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise" and are checking whether the victims were chosen for their "real or supposed race, ethnicity, nationality or religion." The National Anti-terrorism Prosecutor's Office said three people from the suspect's family and circle of friends were taken into custody Friday evening and overnight, without giving a reason. It also said the suspect has four prior convictions, all legally expunged. The suspect has not been named.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on X that the case was "very serious" and that "all resources of the security forces and the judiciary are fully mobilised." The shooting lands as France faces protests over living costs and overnight curfews. Nuñez said about 70,000 police officers and gendarmes will be deployed Saturday, backed by elite units, helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons. Major Paris museums including the Louvre will be closed, and Art Basel Paris scrapped its weekend program.