AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): French judicial officials announced that the 39-year-old man who killed one person and wounded several others in a shooting in the western suburbs of Paris has confessed to deliberately targeting people who, in his view, appeared to be Muslim, African, or of North African origin.
Olivier Christen, France's national anti-terrorism prosecutor, said the accused, named "Kevin T.," chose the location of the attack because he considered it a "hub of Islamists."
The attack took place in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière in the Yvelines region, in the western suburbs of Paris. According to a report by Euronews, the attacker was moving through the area by car and opened fire on people both from inside the vehicle and on foot. The deceased victim of the incident was Pengu Bussio Wangi, a 26-year-old from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Agence France-Presse reported five wounded in the incident. The French prosecutor also announced that three of the wounded are still hospitalized and one of them is in critical condition.
The French prosecutor's office has reported extensive planning for this attack. According to France's national anti-terrorism prosecutor, the accused confessed during interrogations to prior planning and burst firing, and investigations have shown that since September he had been acquiring equipment to increase the efficiency of his weapon, a Sten-type submachine gun from the World War II era. Police arrested him on October 23 and found an automatic weapon and tear gas in a search of his car. Also, in a search of his residence in the town of Plaisir, magazines, two pairs of brass knuckles, a steel bayonet, a silencer, and similar equipment were discovered.
Among the items discovered in the accused's home were copies of the Quran, the Bible, and Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf," as well as stickers with nationalist slogans and in support of the far-right National Rally party led by Marine Le Pen. The accused has said that he designed the stickers himself and ordered them online more than a year ago; however, he has denied membership in or support for any political party. He has also denied any terrorist motive and considered his actions "legitimate"; news sources have reported that he stated during interrogations that he does not regret his action!
France's national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office has opened a judicial case with charges of murder and attempted murder, along with aggravated penalties due to the presumed origin or religion of the victims, and has requested the pretrial detention of the accused. In reaction to this incident, French President Emmanuel Macron criticized the racist atmosphere and the normalization of violence and held far-right political currents and those close to them responsible for the formation of such an atmosphere; remarks that drew a sharp reaction from the National Rally party.
It is worth noting that the French government has also announced the holding of a national memorial ceremony for the victims.
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