OMM Newsroom
A suspect in a deadly shooting in suburbs west of Paris has admitted targeting people he considered to have “Muslim, African or North African” appearance, prosecutors said. BBC World reported the details.
One person was killed and seven others, including a child, were injured last Friday when a gunman opened fire while driving through two western suburbs.
On Thursday, the suspect was charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise, France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office (PNAT) said.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the shooting as a “racist terrorist attack”. Anti-racism demonstrations have since been held across France.
Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old French-Congolese martial artist, was killed. Three of the injured remained in hospital, one of them in critical condition, terrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen told reporters.
The suspect, identified by French media as 39-year-old Kevin T, chose Trappes and nearby La Verrière because he regarded them as a “hotbed for Islamists”, Christen said.
Kevin T denied having any “terrorist intent”, maintained that his actions were “legitimate” and said he “feels no regret”, according to Christen.
Police found “weapons or weapon components” at the suspect’s home, as well as books including a Quran, a Bible and Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Investigators also found stickers celebrating the far-right National Rally (RN) party, Christen said.
The suspect told investigators he had designed the stickers himself, using slogans such as “long live France, RN, proud to be French”, and had them printed more than a year ago, Christen said. He also said he was not a member or supporter of any political party.
On Wednesday, Macron said “certain political movements on the far right”, including the RN and “those close to them”, had allowed a climate of racism “to take root”. Prominent RN lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy responded that the president himself had allowed “hateful ideologies” to flourish.
France’s presidential election is six months away, and RN leader Marine Le Pen is currently leading opinion polls.
