A gunman shooting from his car killed one person and wounded several others in the Paris suburb of Trappes on Friday, in what authorities described as a racially motivated act of terrorism. President Emmanuel Macron called it “a racist terrorist attack” and said the suspect’s statements suggested it was premeditated. The suspected shooter was “shooting randomly, wanting to cause a bloodbath” while driving through Trappes and neighboring La Verriere, Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh told broadcaster BFMTV. “This is probably one of the first mass killing attempts motivated by Islamophobia and racism,” Rabeh told reporters, The Associated Press reported. “This was a terrorist attack with racist, probably Islamophobic, connotations.” Interior Minister Laurent Núñez said the suspect fired “what appears to have been a military-grade weapon, or at least an automatic weapon.” Rabeh called it a “miracle” that there were no more victims. Rabeh said the gunman targeted bystanders in three different locations, including a children’s playground. Forensic investigators were also seen examining evidence at a gas station. The alleged shooter was arrested in the nearby town of Coignieres. Núñez said that the attack lasted just under 15 minutes and was stopped by five agents from the anti-crime brigade. Police officers at the scene of a shooting that killed at least one person in Trappes, a suburb of Paris, France, on October 23, 2026. Dimitar DILKOFF /AFP via Getty Images Officials initially said four people had been injured, but Rabeh told reporters there were five, including three who were seriously injured, with their lives in danger. A 12-year-old girl was seriously injured after being shot eight times, but is in stable condition, La Verrière mayor Nicolas Dainville told the Agence France-Presse news agency. Rabeh stated that the person killed was “of African origin” and that one of the injured, “in critical condition, is of North African origin.” Nunez said the gunman “clearly” committed “a terrorist crime” that may have been racially motivated. Prosecutors said they were investigating whether the acts targeted the victims’ “real or perceived race, ethnicity, nationality or religion.” They said they had opened an investigation for “murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise.” Authorities investigate the scene of a shooting in Trappes, France, on October 23, 2026. Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images Bursts of gunfire and ‘loud explosions’ A police source told AFP that the gunman had fired in bursts from his vehicle around 10:30 a.m. local time. Samy, a resident of Trappes, about 21 kilometers west of Paris, told AFP he saw a body on the ground from his window. His mother, he said, saw a gray Renault Clio speed by and heard “loud bangs.” Writing in President Emmanuel Macron said that “the nation stands” with the victims of this “terrible experience.” Trappes previously experienced tensions after a teacher reported receiving threats after writing that the state did not do enough to protect another teacher, Samuel Paty. Paty was beheaded by a radical Islamist in 2020 in another Paris suburb after showing his class caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. France in suspense after street violence and protests The shooting came with France in suspense after riots that broke out amid mass protests over the cost of living, which saw some of the worst street violence in recent years. Protesters, including students, union members and activists from France’s “Yellow Vests” movement, are expected to take to the streets again on Saturday. French police have promised a greater presence to maintain order after a week of nightly curfews across the country. Núñez said authorities would deploy some 70,000 law enforcement officers and gendarmes. Elite police units will help protect public buildings, he said. Other assets will also be deployed, including helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons. Nunez said at a news conference that officials will be “absolutely uncompromising” toward those involved in violence, looting or vandalism. Police will take a “very firm approach in making arrests and there will be legal consequences,” he said. Major museums in Paris, including the Louvre, will remain closed. Art Basel Paris canceled its weekend program for security reasons, the AP reported. The Associated Press contributed to this report. More from CBS News Go deeper with The Free Press in:
