Macron retracts claim that recent mosque shooting was France's first religion-based attack
President Emmanuel Macron clarified his earlier remark that a shooting in Trappes was the first French attack motivated by religion, acknowledging past anti-Jewish and anti-Christian incidents.
A shooting in Trappes, a predominantly Muslim area west of Paris, left one dead and five wounded, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to initially describe it as the first French terrorist act aimed at people because of their religion. He later revised his comment on X, acknowledging that France has experienced attacks targeting Christians and Jews in recent years. The alleged attacker, Kevin T., is reported to be a far-right extremist.
Jewish community leader Yonathan Arfi and National Rally head Jordan Bardella publicly rebuked Macron for overlooking previous anti-Jewish and anti-Christian attacks, citing incidents such as the 2015 Hyper Cacher supermarket assault and the 2020 Nice basilica bombing. Socialist lawmaker Jérôme Guedj also called the original statement factually false. Macron stressed that no hierarchy exists among victims of terrorism and that all should be remembered.
Why it matters
The clarification highlights ongoing sensitivities around France's history of religiously motivated terrorism and political accountability.
How this story developed
- Oct 23 Gunman opens fire with WWII-era submachine gun in Trappes, killing one and injuring a child
- Oct 23 Police have apprehended the suspect near Coignières.
- Oct 24 President Emmanuel Macron expressed grief over the killings and called the incident a turning point.
- Oct 25 The suspect, Kevin T., faced a police custody that was ended on Sunday following an evening psychiatric assessment. He has been placed under observation at the police prefecture’s psychiatric infirmary, a step that pauses further questioning while his mental state is evaluated. A toxicology analysis detected both cannabis and cocaine in his system. The investigation continues, with family and friends of the suspect also held for questioning. The attack, which began on Friday, left one victim dead and five others injured, including a 12-year-old child.
- Oct 25 Three people from the gunman's immediate circle, including his mother, were placed in police custody.
- Oct 26 Authorities ended the suspect’s police custody and placed him under psychiatric observation.
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