On Friday, 23 October, in the morning, a man opened fire on passers-by in Trappes and the neighbouring town of La Verrière, west of Paris. According to French authorities, one person was killed and four were injured. The suspect was arrested, and the case was taken over by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT).
The shooting took place at around 10:30 a.m. in the Yvelines department, about 27 km west of central Paris. As France 3 Paris Île-de-France reports, citing a police source, the perpetrator fired on streets in Trappes and La Verrière. According to franceinfo, he shot from a car in several parts of the town, including a square and a petrol station. Early on, the Yvelines prefecture said the toll was “not yet stabilised”.
Arrest and reactions from authorities
The suspect was quickly detained by police officers in nearby Coignières. He was placed in police custody (garde à vue). The French Prime Minister, according to the BBC, spoke of a “serious incident” and confirmed the arrest of one person. President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X about “deep emotion”, one person dead and several people seriously injured.
Anti-terrorism investigation
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that it had opened an investigation under the flagrante delicto procedure (flagrance). It concerns murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise, committed because the victim was actually or allegedly a member of a particular race, ethnic group, nation or religion. The statement, as France 3 reported, also lists other alleged offences. At this stage, this is the legal classification adopted for the purposes of the investigation. It does not determine the guilt of the detained man, who remains a suspect.
French media, citing unofficial police sources, report further details: the suspect’s age and place of residence, and the type of weapon used. These have not been officially confirmed, so we are not repeating them here. The identities of the dead and injured, and the perpetrator’s motive, have also not been disclosed. The number of injured varied in early reports: initially three, later four.
What this means for readers in Poland
The incident concerns the outskirts of Paris. Poles travelling to the region should follow the instructions of French services and monitor announcements from the Yvelines prefecture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ). As of publication, it has not been reported whether any of the victims are Polish citizens.
In 2018, a knife attack in Trappes already killed two people. According to available sources, the current case has no link to that incident.
