Summary
- PARIS: A 14-year-old boy opened fire with a hunting gun at a middle school in southern France on Monday, injuring the headmaster and a teacher before a member of staff disarmed him, local authorities said.
- A member of the school staff intervened and managed to disarm the teenager, helping bring the immediate threat to an end.
- Investigators are expected to establish what prompted the teenager to bring a hunting gun onto school grounds and open fire on members of staff.
PARIS: A 14-year-old boy opened fire with a hunting gun at a middle school in southern France on Monday, injuring the headmaster and a teacher before a member of staff disarmed him, local authorities said.
The shooting took place at Joseph-Lakanal Middle School in Aubagne, near Marseille. Police said a third person also sustained a graze wound during the incident.
According to Marseille Deputy Public Prosecutor Audrey Jouaneton, the teenager entered the school carrying a bag designed to look like a guitar case. He then took a long gun out of the case and began firing.
The suspect fired at least four shots, including inside a classroom where teachers and students were present. One of the shots left a mark on the classroom’s blackboard, Jouaneton said, highlighting the danger faced by those inside the school.
Authorities identified the injured victims as the 53-year-old headmaster and a 37-year-old teacher. Both sustained gunshot-related injuries but were not in critical condition, officials confirmed.
Jacques Witkowski, prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône region, said the teenager first targeted the headmaster, striking him in the thighs and lower back with multiple pellets. He subsequently fired at another teacher, injuring the teacher in the thigh with buckshot.
A member of the school staff intervened and managed to disarm the teenager, helping bring the immediate threat to an end.
Authorities said the motive behind the shooting remained unknown. They also dismissed any apparent connection between the incident and the student protests that have affected schools across France in recent weeks.
Police told Agence France-Presse that the middle school had not been affected by the high school protests, indicating that investigators had found no apparent link between the two events.
The shooting has raised renewed concerns about school safety and the threat of armed violence in educational institutions. Investigators are expected to establish what prompted the teenager to bring a hunting gun onto school grounds and open fire on members of staff.
Officials have not yet established a motive for the attack, and further details about the investigation were awaited.
We welcome your contributions! Submit your blogs, opinion pieces, press releases, news story pitches, and news features to opinion@minutemirror.com.pk and minutemirrormail@gmail.com
