Man Arrested After Short Shooting Spree in Paris Suburbs

Kevin T., a 39-year-old man, was arrested on Friday after a 15-minute shooting spree in the Paris suburbs of Trappes and La Verriere. The attack began around 10:30 a.m. local time when T. drove through the working-class neighborhoods, which have large immigrant and Muslim populations. He used an automatic weapon to fire at a petrol station, a medical centre, and a children's playground.

One person died in the incident: Pengo Bassio Wangi, a young Black man. Five others were wounded, including a 12-year-old girl of North African descent who was shot eight times. Prosecutors said three of the injured are in critical condition. The girl was transported to a children's hospital for surgery. Her mother told the broadcaster RTL that her daughter was born in Trappes and asked whether she was targeted because she wore a headscarf.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that the investigation is ongoing but that the incident is clearly a terrorist crime. Prosecutors are examining whether T. conspired with a terrorist group. A member of his immediate family is also in custody. Investigators found a World War II era semiautomatic weapon and tear gas grenades in T's car. Local MP Laurent Mazaury reported that the suspect told officers he wanted to kill foreigners.

President Emmanuel Macron called the event a racist terrorist attack and a turning point for the republic. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu described the case as very serious and noted that all security and judicial resources are mobilized. Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh, who has Moroccan roots, said the gunman fired at random and aimed to cause a bloodbath. He described the attack as objectively racist and probably Islamophobic, stating that the victim's crime was probably being of colour.

The shooting occurred while cost-of-living and student protests grip the country. Authorities plan to deploy 70,000 police officers for demonstrations expected on Saturday. Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally, condemned the shooting as barbaric. Muslim groups accused the populist right of fostering hatred, citing Le Pen's proposal to fine women wearing headscarves in public. The French Muslim Council blamed promoters of anti-Muslim hate speech for having blood on their hands.

Monitors report growing anti-Muslim hostility across Europe. The European Parliament passed a resolution last week with 381 votes to 167, calling for an EU strategy against Islamist entryism. The EU's Fundamental Rights Agency states that one in two Muslims in Europe face racial discrimination. In the United States, California's attorney general reported a 54 percent rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes in 2025, increasing from 24 to 38.