Deadly shooting near Paris investigated as 'crime of terrorism', minister says

One idiosyncratic has been killed and 5 others wounded - 3 earnestly - successful a weapon onslaught successful a Parisian suburb which authorities are investigating arsenic "terrorism".

Several drive-by shootings took spot connected Friday - archetypal successful Trappes to the south-west of Paris, and past successful adjacent La Verrière. The rampage lasted astir 15 minutes, said Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. A12-year-old miss is among the wounded.

The suspected attacker has been arrested. The motive remains unclear, but the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) said the incidental appeared to beryllium "murder successful transportation with a violent enterprise".

Nuñez told reporters successful Trappes: "It's intelligibly a violent crime, that's what [the prosecutor] has said."

The Mayor of Trappes, Ali Rabeh, said that "an idiosyncratic fired shots from his conveyance astatine respective radical helium encountered" connected Friday morning.

The gunman drove done respective neighbourhoods successful a grey Renault Clio, according to witnesses. Rabeh said helium had "fired randomly" with the seeming intent of causing "as galore casualties arsenic possible... helium wanted to origin carnage", helium said.

The politician said radical had been targeted astatine a petrol station, a aesculapian centre and a playground successful Trappes earlier the attacker had driven connected to adjacent La Verrière.

A constabulary national authoritative said the fishy had been detained successful La Verrière connected the main N10 roadworthy that runs done the town.

Asked what the motive for the shootings whitethorn person been, the politician of Trappes said that the unfortunate who had died was of African root and 1 of those successful a captious information was of North African descent.

The onslaught had a "racist, astir apt Islamophobic overtone", helium said.

In its ain statement, the anti-terror authoritative called for caution regarding the individuality of the victims.

However, among the alleged offences covered by the investigation, the authoritative listed "murder successful transportation with a violent enterprise" with the aggravated condition of acts committed due to the fact that of "real oregon perceived rank of a peculiar race, ethnicity, federation oregon religion".

The parent of the injured 12-year-old told French broadcaster RTL her girl suffered 8 gunshot wounds and needed surgery.

"How could anyone bash this to a child?" she asked.

The parent said her girl had been wearing a headscarf and questioned whether this was wherefore she was attacked.

"She's a kid who was calved successful France, successful Trappes. She has the close to unrecorded successful France, to marque her beingness successful France," she added.

The attacker reportedly travelled down a main road, shooting intermittently retired of his car window.

A section constabulary main told BFMTV that the fishy had utilized "an older-style semi-automatic weapon" with bursts of fire. Le Parisien reports that the weapon dated backmost to World War Two.

Rabeh said the shooter had deed a wellness centre, a petrol presumption and respective vehicles during the spree.

The suspected attacker was past arrested astatine the adjacent municipality of Coignières, section media report.

The interior curate said the motive of the attacker remained unclear.

The suspect, a 39-year-old, was known to constabulary but not to France's quality services, section media report.

He was not connected a database of individuals considered to beryllium a superior menace to French security, the nationalist anti-terrorism prosecutor's bureau told BFMTV.

PNAT said its probe besides includes "possession of a Category A weapon" - which includes military-grade weapons oregon weapons susceptible of firing successful bursts.

The anti-terrorist bureau besides said its probe is looking into "conspiracy with a violent radical for the intent of preparing crimes against persons".