Terror Charges Filed Against Trappes Driver

French authorities filed terror charges against a 39-year-old man accused of shooting people in two Paris suburbs on Thursday. The National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office opened a case for murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise. The suspect also faces counts for possessing a Category A weapon and conspiring with a terrorist group to prepare crimes against persons.

The gunman, identified by French media as Kevin T, fired from a grey Renault Clio for approximately 15 minutes. He started in Trappes, southwest of Paris, and moved to the neighboring town of La Verrière. Witnesses reported he targeted individuals at a petrol station, a medical center, and a playground. He was detained on the main road in La Verrière.

One person died in the attack, and five others were wounded. Three victims, including a 12-year-old girl, remain in serious condition. Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said the driver fired randomly with the intent to cause as many casualties as possible. Rabeh stated, "He wanted to cause carnage."

President Emmanuel Macron visited the scene and described the event as a racist terrorist attack. He called it a turning point for the Republic, noting it was the first random racial killing of this kind in France. Macron said victims were singled out by skin color or religion and urged the public to resist ideologies taking root.

A local police chief told BFMTV that the suspect used an older-style semi-automatic weapon. Le Parisien reported the firearm dated back to World War Two. The prosecutor's office said Kevin T had four previous convictions that had been automatically expunged. He was known to police but not to intelligence services and was not on a list of serious security threats.

The mother of the injured 12-year-old told RTL that her daughter suffered eight gunshot wounds and required surgery. The mother said her daughter, who was born in Trappes, was wearing a headscarf at the time. She asked, "How could anyone do this to a child?" A member of the suspect's immediate family circle was also taken into custody on Friday.

The precise motive for the shooting has not yet been established. The investigation continues under the authority of the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office. The case includes possession of a Category A weapon, a classification that covers military-grade arms and weapons capable of firing in bursts.