Emmanuel Macron Calls Paris Suburb Shooting a 'Racist Terrorist Attack' After Child Is Shot Eight Times

French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned a gun attack in the Paris suburbs as a 'racist terrorist attack' after a 12-year-old girl was shot eight times and one man killed when a gunman opened fire from a car, wounding a total of five people.

The shooting took place on Friday in Trappes, a working-class town about 20km (13 miles) west of Paris, and in neighbouring La Verrière. A police source said the man fired in bursts from his vehicle at around 10.30am. The toll later rose from an earlier count of four wounded.

The attack comes with France already on edge after last weekend's unrest following mass protests over the cost of living. Authorities have opened a terrorism investigation and are examining possible racist motives.

IBTimes UK cannot independently verify all claims made by officials. The investigation is ongoing.

Officials Condemn Attack and Probe Motive

Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh said the man was 'firing at random, wanting to cause a bloodbath.' Most of the victims were from foreign backgrounds, and prosecutors are examining whether the acts targeted the 'real or supposed race, ethnicity, nationality or religion' of those hit.

Rabeh said the person killed was 'of African origin.' One of the wounded, 'in critical condition, is of North African origin,' he added. He described it as 'objectively a racist, probably Islamophobic attack' and called for national unity.

In La Verriere, mayor Nicolas Dainville said two of the wounded were cleaners attending to a school on Friday morning. The shooter got out of his car to open fire on them, and both were of African origin, he said. The 12-year-old girl was 'seriously wounded' but in a stable condition, according to Dainville.

Macron visited Trappes later in the day. 'What happened here today was a racist terrorist attack,' he said.

'This is a turning point because it is the first time there has been a terrorist act aimed at killing our compatriots and our children for the colour of their skin or what their religion is thought to be,' the president said. He added that the country 'must not yield anything to the ideas that are taking root in the Republic that could justify such behaviour.'

Earlier, Macron said 'the nation is standing with' the victims of this 'terrible ordeal.'

Interior minister Laurent Nunez travelled to both towns and called the shooting 'clearly a terrorist crime.' Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on social media that the case was 'very serious.' He said 'all resources of the security forces and the judiciary are fully mobilised.'

Arrest in Coignières and Booby-Trapped Flat

Police arrested the alleged shooter in nearby Coignieres. A source familiar with the case said he is 39 years old, and he has not been publicly named.

A police source said officers found him with a submachine gun and tear-gas grenades. What turned up at his home is grim stuff. Anti-terrorism prosecutors said he had booby-trapped his flat with three gas canisters and electric wires 'connected to a timer.'

Prosecutors have opened an investigation for 'murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise.' Whether the evidence supports a racially motivated charge is something only that inquiry can settle.

Community Fear After Trappes Shooting

Residents spoke of shock and, for some, a sharper kind of dread. Adel, a 50-year-old Trappes resident, said his 'heart was broken' as he learned the victims might have been targeted for their race.

'I'm North African and it's frightening for everyone who has the same background,' he said.

Another resident, Samy, said he saw a body on the ground from his window. His mother saw a grey Renault Clio speeding past and heard 'loud bangs,' he said.

More protests are expected this weekend. Police will be out in force after a week of overnight curfews in cities across the country.