Macron Orders 70,000 Officers Deployed After Trappes Drive-By Kills One

A gunman killed one person and injured at least five others on Friday in the Paris suburb of Trappes, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to label the incident a racist terror attack. The suspect fired from a moving vehicle for nearly 15 minutes before officers stopped the car in the nearby town of Coignieres.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated the weapon was military-grade or automatic and that five anti-crime brigade officers ended the attack. The victim died at the scene, while five others were hospitalized, including a 12-year-old girl who suffered eight gunshot wounds. Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said three victims are in serious condition.

Macron told reporters that the suspect’s statements indicated premeditation and that victims were targeted because of their skin color or perceived religion. "There is no place for this in France," the president said. Rabeh described the event as a likely first mass killing motivated by Islamophobia, noting the gunman targeted locations including a playground.

Prosecutors opened an investigation for murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise. They are examining whether the attackers targeted the real or supposed race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion of the victims. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office placed three associates of the suspect in custody Friday evening and overnight. The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, has four prior convictions that were legally expunged.

France is deploying approximately 70,000 police officers and gendarmes to secure the country. Nuñez said elite units, helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons will back the deployment. The minister promised an uncompromising response to any violence or looting. The major Paris museums, including the Louvre, will close, and Art Basel Paris canceled its weekend program.

The attack occurred as the country faced mass protests over the cost of living and overnight curfews. Students, union members, and activists are scheduled to demonstrate Saturday. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said all security and judicial resources are fully mobilized.