A 12-year-old girl is among the wounded after a motorist opened fire across Trappes and La Verrière before being detained in neighboring Coignières.
TRAPPES, France — October 23, 2026 :A gunman firing from a vehicle killed one person and wounded four others—including a 12-year-old girl—during a shooting spree across two southwestern suburbs of Paris on Friday morning, prompting French anti-terror prosecutors to open an investigation into suspected ideologically or racially motivated violence.
Police arrested the suspected shooter, a 39-year-old man, in the nearby commune of Coignières shortly after the morning rampage.
The bursts of gunfire erupted around 10:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) as the motorist drove through Trappes, situated roughly 20 kilometers west of central Paris, and neighboring La Verrière. Witnesses reported seeing a grey Renault Clio moving rapidly through the streets as multiple rounds were discharged, including at a local petrol station.
Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh stated that the assailant appeared to be firing at random with the clear intent to inflict maximum casualties. Rabeh noted that the fatal victim was of African origin, while one critically injured person is of North African origin. In neighboring La Verrière, Mayor Nicolas Dainville confirmed that a 12-year-old girl sustained eight gunshot wounds; she underwent emergency treatment and remains in stable condition.
France’s National Anti-Terror Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) announced it has initiated proceedings on counts of murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise. Prosecutors confirmed that investigators are actively examining whether the victims were targeted on the basis of their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, nationality, or religious affiliation.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu described the attack as “very serious” on social media platform X, stating that the full judicial and security apparatus has been mobilized. President Emmanuel Macron extended national solidarity to the victims and their families.
The incident occurred during a period of elevated national security vigilance across France, where regional authorities have recently faced heightened unrest, street demonstrations, and isolated public attacks. Forensic specialists cordoned off the affected roads in Trappes and Coignières through Friday afternoon to map the vehicle’s trajectory and gather ballistic evidence.
