Security services in France placed a man suspected of a racist shooting in Trappes, killing one person and wounding five, in a psychiatric unit for observation.
France’s anti-terrorism prosecutors announced the news today, following Friday’s heinous attack, with the suspect in possession of a submachine gun and tear gas grenades in his car.
The arrest followed gunshots fired at victims as a vehicle drove through Trappes and neighboring La Verrière.
The shooting sparked outrage, with President Emmanuel Macron describing the shooting as a “racist terrorist attack.”
Most of the victims were from foreign backgrounds.
Prosecutors placed the suspect, identified as Kevin T., in a psychiatric unit to undergo an observation period likely to last 48 hours.
The prosecutor’s office said the decision to place him under psychiatric observation seeks to allow security services to “evaluate his state of psychiatric health and determine whether it is compatible with pursuing interrogations,” according to France 24.
The prosecutor announced that traces of cannabis and cocaine were found in the suspect’s blood, according to France 24.
The victim killed in the attack was of Congolese origin, while the other wounded victims include a 12-year-old who was struck by bullets eight times.
The recent racist attack comes at a critical time in France, amid heightened racism and Islamophobia, as well as ongoing protests that have sparked riots and a crisis across the country. Protesters have been urging better education and improved living conditions.
French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the latest racist attack, describing what happened as a premeditated attack.
He said the gunman targeted people because of their skin color, stating that racism had become part of the “ambient discourse in France.”
