OMM Newsroom
France’s National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) said Wednesday that a search of the home of a suspect in last month’s fatal shooting near Paris uncovered a sticky note bearing the names and mobile phone numbers of four left-wing public figures.
The 39-year-old, identified by prosecutors only as Kevin T., has been placed under formal investigation on charges including murder and attempted murder in a case involving alleged terrorist motives.
Suspect said he did not intend to target politicians
According to prosecutors, Kevin T. told investigators he had taken the phone numbers from a website that publishes leaked data and described the four people as “leftists.” Asked whether he had intended to target them, he replied: “No, no, no, I had just taken the numbers, but I had no plan.”
Prosecutors said case files contained no other evidence confirming the existence of a plan to use violence against the four people. French broadcaster BFM TV reported that the list included members of the left-wing France Unbowed party and the Greens.
Prosecutor said suspect selected victims based on race and religion
National anti-terrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen said at a news conference last month that the suspect had admitted selecting his victims because they appeared to be Muslim or African. According to Christen, the suspect chose Trappes because he considered it a center of Islamists.
Christen said the suspect told investigators he was not a member or supporter of any political party.
Prosecutors said at the time that the crime was committed because of the victims’ actual or perceived membership of a particular race, ethnic group, nation or religion. Under French law, this is considered an aggravating circumstance.
On October 23, an armed man opened fire in and near Trappes and La Verrière, in the western suburbs of Paris. One person was killed and five others, including a child, were injured. The suspect was later detained in his car with a machine gun and tear gas grenades.
