Macron: Shooting in Paris Suburbs Was a 'Terrorist and Racist Attack'

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that the shooting in the suburbs of Paris, which left one person dead and others injured, was a “racist terrorist attack” suspected to have targeted people of immigrant origin.

Macron made these remarks while visiting the town of Trappes in the Paris suburbs, where a mood of mourning had descended following the shooting on Friday morning that resulted in one death and five injuries.

The shooting also affected the neighboring town of La Verrière, which the French presidential statement described as a “racist terrorist attack.”

Macron said France was facing a “turning point,” calling for “no concessions” and “no bowing our heads” in the face of “ideas that are taking root.”

According to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, one person was killed and five others were injured in Trappes and La Verrière, in the Yvelines department southwest of Paris, including a 12-year-old girl.

The judicial authorities specializing in counter-terrorism cases quickly took over the file, announcing an investigation into a crime with a “terrorist” dimension, considering that it was committed because of the “race, nation, or religion” of the targeted individuals.

Trappes Mayor Ali Rabah said the shooting was a “racist attack, possibly motivated by Islamophobia,” adding that it “may be among the first attempts at mass killing with anti-Islamic and racist motives” in France.

The prosecution identified the suspect as Kevin T., born in 1987. He was placed in custody, along with a family member.

The source added that police arrested him while he was carrying an assault rifle and tear gas canisters. He was registered in the French judicial database but was unknown to domestic intelligence agencies.

A search of his home in Blaisy, near the sites of the two attacks, revealed an “explosive device” inside the apartment consisting of three gas canisters and electrical wires connected to a meter, according to the prosecutor’s office.

La Verrière Mayor Nicolas Danville said a 12-year-old girl was hit by eight bullets, but her condition later stabilized.

He added that two cleaning workers of African origin were also injured while working at a school, explaining that the suspect “got out of his car and shot at them.”

He told Agence France-Presse, “It’s shock, trauma, and a nightmare.”

Ali Rabah clarified that the victim was of African origin, while the person still in critical condition was of Maghrebi origin.

The mayor considered it a “miracle” that the number of victims was limited to this count, as the attacker fired a large number of bullets in different neighborhoods.

He added, “It was clear that he was shooting randomly and wanted to carry out a massacre.”