French Schoolboy, 14, Suspected of Shooting Principal and Teacher With Shotgun Hidden in Guitar Case

A 14-year-old boy was detained after allegedly shooting and wounding a headteacher and a teacher with a shotgun hidden in a guitar case at his secondary school in southern France on Monday, 12 October, prosecutors said.

The shooting took place at about 10am at Collège Joseph-Lakanal in Aubagne, east of Marseille. Both victims were wounded in the legs and taken to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

A staff member disarmed the pupil before police took him into custody. Investigators had not established his motive, and there was no immediate evidence linking the attack to nationwide school protests.

Staff Member Disarms Suspect

Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said the boy fired once or twice on the first floor, wounding the headteacher and a 37-year-old teacher.

The suspect then went to the second floor and fired twice more: once at the floor in front of a teacher and once inside a classroom, hitting the teaching board. No one was struck by those shots, but those in the classroom were 'very shocked', Bessone said.

A staff member intercepted the boy in a stairwell and disarmed him. Marseille deputy prosecutor Audrey Jouaneton praised the staff member's 'extreme courage'.

Jouaneton said investigators did not yet have sufficiently precise evidence to establish whether the suspect had intended to target the headteacher and teacher.

Macron Praises Staff for Preventing Further Violence

French President Emmanuel Macron praised the teaching staff's 'composure and exemplary response', saying they had 'prevented an even worse outcome'. Psychological support was offered to pupils affected by the incident.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez and Education Minister Édouard Geffray were due to visit the school on Monday afternoon, according to initial reports.

The shooting came amid nationwide protests by secondary school pupils demanding better-resourced schools. Police said Joseph-Lakanal had not been affected by the protests on Monday.

Pupils Prepare for Fifth Nationwide Protest

Pupils were preparing for a fifth nationwide day of demonstrations, known as 'Act V', on Tuesday, 13 October. The movement had put pressure on Macron's government since mid-September.

Protesters have raised concerns about overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating school buildings. About 130 secondary schools remained closed on Monday, according to education ministry figures reported by The Telegraph, while pupils continued to blockade schools across the country.

Pupil and student unions dismissed government concessions, including the deployment of 3,000 substitute teachers, as 'crumbs'. They demanded an additional €10 billion (£8.7 billion) in school funding.

Macron Calls for Calm as Demonstrations Continue

During a visit to the Paris Motor Show, Macron urged pupils to protest peacefully and cautioned against expecting immediate improvements to schools.

'These are issues that deserve time, consultation, discussion and respect,' he said. 'This also requires that it be done calmly, in an orderly way, and with respect for both people and property.'

An earlier round of demonstrations drew 71,500 people across France, according to Interior Ministry figures cited by The Telegraph. Almost 256,000 took part in the day of action on Tuesday, 6 October, the newspaper reported. An Ipsos poll found that 54% of respondents supported the protests.

The education dispute also coincided with plans for demonstrations over the cost of living on Saturday, 17 October. The General Confederation of Labour (CGT) said it would support that mobilisation, with general secretary Sophie Binet saying the union shared pupils' demands.

The prospect of broader protests prompted comparisons with the gilets jaunes, or yellow vests, movement, which began in 2018 over a planned fuel-tax increase and developed into wider opposition to living costs and economic inequality.

The investigation into the Aubagne shooting remained ongoing. Authorities had not established any connection between the attack and the protest movement.