France braces for more protests, police deployed as Macron condemns racism after shooting

French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned a deadly shooting in the suburbs of Paris as a "racist terrorist attack," which occurred on Friday, October 23, 2026. The incident, which took place in the working-class towns of Trappes and La Verrière, involved a gunman firing from a car at multiple locations, killing one person and wounding five others, including a 12-year-old girl who was shot eight times.

Authorities quickly apprehended the 39-year-old suspect, identified as Kévin T., in nearby Coignieres. Police found him in possession of a submachine gun and tear-gas grenades, and his apartment was discovered to be booby-trapped with gas canisters and electrical wires. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's office has launched a criminal investigation into the incident, citing "murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise" and acknowledging the aggravating circumstance that the acts were likely committed due to the victims' actual or perceived race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion.

Mayor Ali Rabeh of Trappes stated that most of the victims were of foreign backgrounds, with the person killed being of African origin, and described the attack as "objectively a racist, probably Islamophobic attack." President Macron emphasized that this was a "turning point" as it marked the first time a terrorist act in France was aimed at killing people based on their skin color or presumed religion. The shooting occurred amidst heightened tensions in France, following recent protests over the cost of living that had turned violent, with further demonstrations anticipated.