French counterterrorism prosecutors have asked a court to keep a 39-year-old suspect in pretrial detention following a shooting in the suburbs west of Paris that killed one person and injured seven others. Investigators say the suspect acknowledged planning the attack and selecting victims whom he believed were Muslim or had North African or sub-Saharan African backgrounds. The case is being investigated as a serious act of violence with possible terrorist links and racial or religious motives.
The shooting took place in Trappes and nearby La Verrière, where the gunman reportedly fired from a vehicle at several locations along a route of about 12 kilometres. One of the injured was an 11-year-old girl. Police arrested the suspect less than 20 minutes after the shooting began, according to the account presented by prosecutors. The man killed was identified as Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old French national.
Prosecutors said the suspect admitted that the acts had been planned in advance. They also said he described choosing Trappes because he believed it had a strong Islamist presence. However, the suspect denied that he had acted with terrorist intent. Investigators are examining whether the violence was connected to a wider extremist purpose and whether the victims were selected because of their perceived religion, ethnicity or national origin.
Several victims suffered serious injuries. One remained in a life-threatening condition when prosecutors gave their account, while others had less severe wounds. Authorities have not publicly disclosed all details about the injured people. The investigation is examining both the sequence of events and the suspect’s preparation before the shooting.
Investigators found a submachine gun in the suspect’s vehicle, according to prosecutors. They also discovered that his apartment had been fitted with a dangerous arrangement involving gas cylinders, electrical wires and a timer. The findings raised further questions about whether the suspect had prepared additional acts beyond the shooting itself.
The inquiry has also examined the suspect’s behaviour in the days before the attack. Prosecutors said he had purchased firearm parts in the previous month, deleted social media accounts two days before the shooting, sold a laptop and tried to conceal his phone. Police nevertheless recovered the device and continued collecting evidence about his movements and possible intentions.
Authorities also reported finding extremist material and nationalist stickers in his home. The suspect said he had designed and ordered the stickers himself, while denying membership in or support for a political party. Prosecutors also referred to a history of psychiatric problems and drug addiction, and toxicology tests found cannabis, cocaine and prescribed medication in his blood.
Those details form part of the investigation but do not, by themselves, determine criminal responsibility or establish the final legal findings. The court must consider the evidence as the case proceeds. The request for pretrial detention reflects the seriousness of the allegations and the need to preserve the investigation while prosecutors examine the suspected motives, preparation and full extent of the attack.
