Trappes Shooting Investigated as Racist Attack

A man suspected of killing one person and injuring five others in shootings in the Paris suburbs has been removed from police custody and placed under psychiatric observation. French anti-terrorism officials said the evaluation, recommended by a psychiatric expert, will assess whether his mental health allows investigators to continue questioning him. It is expected to last about 48 hours and will also help determine whether he can return to custody. The suspect, identified in French media as 39-year-old Kevin T, was found to have cannabis and cocaine in his bloodstream. Media reports, citing a source close to the investigation, said a Bible, a Quran and a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf were found at his home. The shootings took place on Friday in Trappes and nearby La Verrière. The attacker reportedly fired bursts from an old semi-automatic weapon through a car window and appeared to target people of migrant origin. President Emmanuel Macron described the incident as a “racist terrorist attack,” saying people had been targeted because of their skin colour or religion and calling it a turning point for France. The person killed was Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old French-Congolese martial artist. His mixed martial arts club remembered him as respectful, generous and supportive of others. The lawyer for Wangi’s family called the psychiatric observation “very rare” and suggested it could be used to portray the suspect as criminally irresponsible rather than deliberate. Three injured people were taken to hospital in serious condition. A 12-year-old girl remained critical, though La Verrière mayor Nicolas Dainville said her mother had told him she was doing better. Another resident was recovering, while a third remained in critical condition. The suspect was known to police, though not to French intelligence services, and reportedly had four previous convictions that had been automatically expunged.

The suspect in a shooting in Trappes, southwest of Paris, was transferred to a psychiatric unit after his police custody was suspended for psychiatric reasons, France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) announced. The 39-year-old, identified as Kevin T., is to be observed for up to 48 hours while authorities assess whether his condition allows questioning to continue. Toxicology tests found cannabis and cocaine in his blood, and four people from his family and social circle remain under questioning. The shooting took place Friday morning in Trappes and La Verrière. The suspect allegedly fired from a vehicle at passers-by, killing 26-year-old Pengo Bossio Wangi and injuring five others, including a 12-year-old girl who remained in critical condition. He was arrested shortly afterward. Police reportedly found a Second World War-era submachine gun and tear gas grenades in his car. At his home in Plaisir, investigators found a copy of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf,” as well as a Bible and a Quran. They also said he had booby-trapped the house with gas cylinders and electrical wires attached to a timer. According to a report cited by Le Monde, the suspect told police he wanted to target people from immigrant backgrounds in retaliation for the looting of shops during protests on 17 October. President Emmanuel Macron called the shooting a “racist terrorist attack.” The victim’s family questioned whether authorities had adequately monitored the suspect, whom they said was known to officials. Hundreds gathered at the scene on Saturday to pay tribute to Wangi, a promising French MMA fighter, and called for justice and truth. A local shopkeeper told AFP that the attack could have affected anyone and that the suspect shot at Black people and Arabs.

A 39-year-old man suspected of opening fire in Trappes and nearby La Verrière, west of Paris, was transferred from police custody to a psychiatric unit for observation, France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) said Sunday. The attack took place Friday, October 23, and killed one person and wounded five. The suspect, partly identified as Kevin T., was arrested with a submachine gun and tear-gas grenades in his car. Prosecutors said his custody was suspended after a psychiatric examination on Saturday evening. The observation period was expected to last about 48 hours and is intended to assess whether his mental health allows investigators to continue questioning him. Traces of cannabis and cocaine were found in his blood. Authorities are investigating the attack as potentially racist. President Emmanuel Macron called it a “racist terrorist attack,” and most victims were described as having foreign backgrounds. The person killed was Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old man of Congolese origin. A 12-year-old girl was among the wounded; she was struck by bullets eight times and remained in critical condition at the time of publication. Police searched the suspect’s home in Plaisir, outside Paris. A source close to the investigation said officers found a Bible, a Quran and a copy of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.” The report does not establish what significance, if any, these items have to the investigation. The shooting occurred amid heightened political and social divisions in France, with national elections due in six months and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen leading in polls. The article also notes that riots the previous week had further damaged the country’s image ahead of the vote to choose Macron’s successor.