Standfirst: French prosecutors say the suspect in the Trappes shooting has been transferred to a psychiatric unit for observation after toxicology tests detected cannabis and cocaine. One person was killed and five others were injured in the attack, including a child who remains in critical condition.
The suspect in a shooting that affected Trappes and La Verrière, south-west of Paris, has been moved from police custody to a psychiatric unit, according to France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT).
Prosecutors said the transfer was made for psychiatric reasons and could last up to 48 hours. The assessment is intended to determine whether the 39-year-old suspect’s mental state allows police questioning to continue.
What happened in the Trappes shooting?
Police allege that the suspect opened fire from a vehicle at passers-by at around 10:30am on Friday. He was arrested shortly afterwards.
A 26-year-old man, identified by media reports as Pengo Bossio Wangi, died in the attack. Five other people were injured, including a 12-year-old girl whose condition was described as critical in the information released about the case.
Investigators reportedly found a Second World War-era submachine gun and tear-gas grenades in the suspect’s vehicle. The inquiry covers events in both Trappes and nearby La Verrière.
Why was the suspect transferred?
PNAT said the suspect’s police custody had been suspended while he underwent psychiatric observation at a unit operated by the Paris police prefecture.
The purpose of the assessment is not to establish guilt. Instead, it is intended to determine whether his psychiatric condition is compatible with further questioning and the continuation of legal proceedings.
Toxicology tests also found cannabis and cocaine in his blood, according to the prosecutor’s office. The presence of substances is one element of the investigation and does not, by itself, establish the motive or explain the shooting.
Four people from the suspect’s family and social circle were still being questioned, prosecutors said. Their role and any possible connection to the incident had not been established in the information available.
Search of the suspect’s home
Investigators searching the suspect’s home in Plaisir reportedly found several items that are now being examined as part of the inquiry. These included a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf, as well as a Bible and a Quran.
Police also said the property had been fitted with a potentially dangerous device involving three gas cylinders, electrical wires and a timer. Such evidence may be relevant to assessing the level of risk at the property and the wider circumstances surrounding the suspect, but investigators have not completed their work.
Possible racist motive under investigation
The shooting has raised concerns about a possible racist motive. French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Trappes after the attack, described it as a “racist terrorist attack”. That public description does not replace the judicial investigation, which must establish the facts, the suspect’s intentions and the applicable charges.
Media reports have attributed statements to the suspect suggesting that he wanted to target people from immigrant backgrounds. Those claims remain part of the investigation and should not be treated as a final finding before prosecutors and the courts establish the evidence.
The alleged motive reportedly related to anger over the looting of shops during violent protests on 17 October. Investigators will need to determine whether that explanation was genuinely expressed, whether it was connected to the attack and whether other motives were involved.
Tributes for the victim
Hundreds of people gathered at the scene on Saturday to honour the man who died. Participants held signs calling for justice and truth and observed a minute’s silence.
Reports described the victim as a promising French mixed martial arts fighter. Relatives have also questioned whether the suspect was already known to authorities and whether adequate monitoring had taken place. Those questions may form part of the inquiry, but no conclusion about institutional responsibility has been established.
What happens next?
The psychiatric observation period is expected to clarify whether the suspect can return to questioning. Investigators will also continue examining:
- the firearm and other items recovered from the vehicle;
- the reported devices found at the suspect’s home;
- toxicology results;
- the backgrounds and accounts of witnesses and those being questioned; and
- the possible motive, including allegations of racial targeting.
Any decision on charges, continued detention or additional judicial measures will depend on the evidence gathered by investigators and the direction of the anti-terrorism prosecution.
Conclusion
The Trappes shooting investigation remains at an early stage. The suspect’s transfer to a psychiatric unit temporarily changes the questioning process, while prosecutors assess his condition and investigators work to establish what happened, who was targeted and whether the incident meets the legal definition of a terrorist attack.