In brief
A 39‑year‑old man has been taken into psychiatric observation following a deadly shooting spree that swept through Trappes and nearby La Verrière, claiming one life and leaving several injured. French anti‑terrorism officials said the suspect was evaluated by a psychiatric expert before his removal from police custody. President Emmanuel Macron called the attack “a racist terrorist assault” and highlighted the need to confront hate‑based violence. Sources say the suspect had a history of convictions and a frightening home inventory that included extremist literature.
A 39‑year‑old man has been taken into psychiatric observation in the aftermath of a fatal shooting that unfolded in Trappes and nearby La Verrière, south‑west of Paris. The National Anti‑Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) said that a psychiatric expert had assessed the suspect and the authorities decided to evaluate his mental state before considering further legal action.
The shooting, which began when the gunman opened fire from the window of his vehicle in Trappes and then continued in La Verrière, killed a French‑Congolese martial artist named Pengo Bossio Wangi and left six people wounded, including a 12‑year‑old girl who was treated in critical condition.
According to PNAT, the suspect’s blood contained cannabis and cocaine, and investigators discovered a Bible, a Quran and a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf in his home. Sources report that the suspect held an old semi‑automatic weapon and had a prior record of four convictions that were later expunged.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack as a “racist terrorist attack” and urged citizens to stand against violence. He described the incident as a “turning point in the life of our Republic and our nation.”
The victim’s lawyer called the psychiatric observation “very rare” and suggested that authorities might be portraying the suspect as having acted impulsively rather than deliberately. The mayor of La Verrière said that the injured teenager’s mother was being monitored and that most injuries were serious but survivable.
For more on this story, see “Deadly shooting near Paris is a ‘racist terrorist attack’, Macron says” here.
