One person was killed and four others, including a 12-year-old girl, were wounded after a man opened fire in Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, on Friday morning.
The shooting happened at about 10:30, according to French media. Police arrested the suspect shortly afterwards in nearby Coignières. The ministry said the suspect opened fire from a vehicle with an automatic weapon on five people at three different locations across the two municipalities.
France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor has taken over the investigation. The anti-terrorism prosecutor is treating the case as murder and attempted murder linked to a terrorist motive, with a possible racist or religious motive also under investigation.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu described the incident as “very serious” and said the security services and judiciary were deploying all available resources.
Emergency services remained at the scene, and officials said the toll was not yet final. The Yvelines prefecture warned that the number of victims could still change.
The 12-year-old girl is in stable condition. Two men aged 29 and 49 were also reported to have been hit and taken to two different hospitals, La Verrière mayor Nicolas Dainville told BFMTV.
