In brief
A 39‑year‑old man accused of opening fire from his car in Trappes and La Verrière, killing one and injuring five, has been moved to psychiatric observation. Police say the suspect's mental state may influence interrogation, and he tested positive for cannabis and cocaine. The attack, Parliament described as a "racist terrorist" event, followed the victims’ alleged targeting by skin colour or religion. Items including a Bible, a Quran and Hitler’s Mein Kampf were reportedly found in the suspect’s residence.
Police in France have placed the man suspected of a deadly car‑gun attack near Paris into a psychiatric observation unit to assess his fitness for interrogation. The attack, carried out on Friday, saw shots fired from a vehicle in Trappes and then in the neighboring town of La Verrière. A single person was killed and five others injured, investigators say the gunman appeared to be targeting people of migrant background.
The suspect, a 39‑year‑old Kevin T, is being evaluated under guidance from a psychiatric expert. The review, which should last about 48 hours, will determine whether he can remain in police custody. He has an earlier criminal history – four convictions that subsequently were automatically expunged – but was not on France’s intelligence services’ radar before the shooting.
Macron has called the incident a "racist terrorist attack," noting that the wounded were attacked "over their skin colour or religion." The shooter reportedly had cannabis and cocaine in his bloodstream, according to the National Anti‑Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office.
Sources say the suspect’s home also contained a Bible, a Quran and a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf, items that may flag extremist sympathies. Police said put the suspect under observation is rare, a lawyer for the deceased said it was "very rare".
The victim was 26‑year‑old Pengo Bossio Wangi, a French‑Congolese martial artist, who died on Saturday. A club he trained at paid tribute to him, saying he was a leader both on and off the mat. Three of the injured remain in hospital, with one 12‑year‑old girl in critical condition, while medical staff say her mother reports some improvement.
