France charges suspect over racist Trappes shooting that killed one
The suspect told investigators he deliberately targeted Muslim and African people in the 23 October attack near Paris, prosecutors said.
French anti-terrorism prosecutors said on Thursday that the man accused of a racially motivated shooting in Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, admitted deliberately targeting people he believed to be Muslim, African or North African. The attack on 23 October killed one man and injured seven others, including an 11-year-old girl.
National anti-terrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen said the suspect, identified only as Kévin T., 39, told investigators he picked Trappes because he considered it "a stronghold of Islamists." Christen said the attack was premeditated and carried out from a car and on foot, using a Second World War-era submachine gun the suspect had modified since September.
Officials named the man killed as Pengo Bossio Wangi, 26, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Christen said three of the injured remained in hospital on Thursday, one in a life-threatening condition; the 11-year-old girl's life was no longer in danger.
A search of the suspect's home in Plaisir turned up a modified weapon, knuckle-dusters, a bayonet and a silencer, along with nationalist stickers he said he designed and ordered himself. Christen said a medical examination found no psychiatric condition that would justify compulsory hospitalisation, despite the suspect's reported history of psychological problems. Prosecutors have opened a murder investigation with a terrorism aggravation and requested he be held in pre-trial detention.
President Emmanuel Macron said the attack reflected what he called "a racism of atmosphere" and blamed far-right movements, including the National Rally, for helping create that climate; the party's MP Jean-Philippe Tanguy rejected the comments as "very problematic." Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is to preside over a national tribute to the victims, the government said, though no date or venue has been set.
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What we know
- A gunman killed one man and injured seven others, including an 11-year-old girl, in Trappes and La Verrière on 23 October.
- The suspect, named only as Kévin T., 39, admitted targeting people he believed to be Muslim, African or North African, prosecutors said.
- Officials named the victim as Pengo Bossio Wangi, 26, from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Prosecutors have opened a murder investigation with a terrorism aggravating factor and sought the suspect's pre-trial detention.
Not yet confirmed
- Whether the suspect has any psychiatric diagnosis beyond what he himself described; a medical exam did not confirm one.
Figure history
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Why it matters for Europe
Hundreds of people marched through Trappes at the weekend in Wangi's memory and in solidarity with his family, a sign of how deeply the attack has shaken the town. It is one of several recent racially motivated attacks in France to draw direct comment from the president, and has reopened debate over the influence of far-right rhetoric on political violence.
Sources
Reported by 5 reports from 5 independent outlets in 3 countries.
- Le Progrès: Justice. Attentat raciste de Trappes : suivez en direct le point sur l'enquête et le suspect Kévin T.
- France 24: Trappes residents reel from deadly racist attack that killed one
- France 24: 🔴 Suspect in deadly shooting near Paris admits racist intent, French anti-terrorism prosecutor says
- The New York Times — World: Suspect in France Shootings Said He Targeted Muslims and Africans, Prosecutor Says
- RFI: Paris suburb shooting suspect 'targeted Muslims, Africans or North Africans'
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Trappes?
- A gunman killed one man and injured seven others, including an 11-year-old girl, in a racially motivated shooting in Trappes and La Verrière on 23 October.
- Who was the suspect?
- A 39-year-old man identified only as Kévin T., who prosecutors say admitted deliberately targeting Muslim, African and North African people.
- Who was killed?
- Officials named the victim as Pengo Bossio Wangi, 26, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This article was written with AI assistance from 6 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.