A headmaster and trainer had been shot in entrance of terrified pupils throughout a gun rampage in southern France right this moment.
The principal of the Joseph-Lakanal center faculty in Aubagne, east of Marseille, was allegedly shot within the decrease physique by a 14-year-old pupil.
A trainer, 37, was additionally hit within the thigh whereas a 3rd individual was grazed within the taking pictures, which came about amid scholar protests which have gripped the nation.
The boy taken into custody was carrying a gun and is a pupil of the Joseph-Lakanal center faculty the place the taking pictures occurred, police mentioned.
Conflicting studies mentioned the weapon was a 12-gauge shotgun or a searching rifle.
The headteacher, 53, was shot 4 or 5 occasions in entrance of the varsity, a police supply advised Le Figaro.
The suspect fired a number of photographs inside the varsity, earlier than employees subdued {the teenager} and legislation enforcement intervened.
The youth shooter, who was a pupil on the faculty, arrived at round 10.30am, with the gun hidden in a guitar case.
The principal of the Joseph-Lakanal center faculty in Aubagne was hit within the decrease physique
French gendarmes stand in entrance of Joseph-Lakanal highschool after the taking pictures
The principal’s life was not considered in peril, authorities mentioned
He advised employees he wished to ‘see the headmaster’ in order ‘to pay tribute to him,’ in line with witnesses.
Then he took out the gun and fired lead shot into his victims.
Martine Vassal, president of the Bouches-du-Rhône departmental council, mentioned: ‘There aren’t any safety gates or checks of any variety on the faculty gates. They weren’t deemed vital.’
There was no preliminary clue to the kid’s motivation, though his father had ‘requested a gathering with the varsity’s academic advisor,’ he added. Pupils and academics who witnessed the assault had been present process counselling, she mentioned.
Prosecutors have opened a prison inquiry, and lessons on the faculty have been suspended.
In contrast to lots of of colleges throughout France, it was not being blockaded this morning.
Firefighters have been dispatched to the scene.
The Minister of the Inside Laurent Nuñez, the Minister of Nationwide Training Édouard Geffray in addition to the Minister Delegate for Vocational Training and Coaching and Apprenticeship Sabrina Roubache are anticipated to go to the positioning on Monday afternoon.
The principal and the trainer have been handled and their lives will not be in peril, in line with the prime minister’s workplace.
An investigation has been opened for tried homicide because the Marseille public prosecutor travels to the scene, in line with BFMTV.
The prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, the mayor of Aubagne, and the regional schooling authority are exterior the varsity, the place many dad and mom have gathered after the incident.
‘No college students had been injured,’ Mayor Jean-Pierre Squillari confirmed to reporters.
France has confronted a wave of protests over the state of the nation’s faculties, with among the demonstrations hit by violence.
French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned on Monday that he condemned these incidents of violence.
A supply near the investigation advised BFMTV that the shootings had ‘no connection’ with the coed protests.
Moreover, the Joseph-Lakanal center faculty was apparently not affected by any blockades.
The Bouches-du-Rhône police division, in southern France, mentioned the suspect’s motive was unknown.
It comes as France’s highschool college students start a brand new stage of their marketing campaign for improved circumstances, hoping to keep up the momentum with a recent wave of demonstrations.
The brand new protests, scheduled for Tuesday, could possibly be a turning level within the motion, launched in mid-September, which the federal government hopes is already winding down.
On Friday, the federal government famous a dramatic drop within the variety of blockades and conferences exterior the nation’s lycees, the place college students – most between 15 and 18 – full their highschool schooling.
Greater than 96 per cent had been opening Friday, mentioned the schooling ministry.
The authorities are all of the extra eager to see the coed protests finish on condition that on-line activists have referred to as for demonstrations subsequent Saturday to protest the price of residing.
For Macron’s administration, that brings again troubling recollections of the grassroots Yellow Vest motion.
Their protests, launched in 2018 over a deliberate gas tax rise, noticed large demonstrations and clashes between police and protesters that shook the presidency throughout Macron’s first time period in workplace.
The federal government continues to be counting the price of the highschool protests.
A authorities supply advised journalists final week that the fee for injury attributable to the demonstrations was ‘a minimum of 30 million euros’.
On Friday, the justice ministry mentioned greater than 6,800 folks had been detained because the demonstrations began, 86 per cent of them minors.
After clashes between some protesters and riot police left some college students severely injured, sparking criticism of police ways, the federal government suspended using stun grenades that price one scholar his hand.
Police are investigating 18 alleged circumstances of misconduct inside their ranks.
Final Thursday’s scholar demonstrations mobilised tens of 1000’s of individuals throughout France – 71,500 in line with inside ministry figures.
Practically 256,000 folks took half in final Tuesday’s day of motion.
And one ballot, carried out by Ipsos-BVA and revealed on Sunday, mentioned 54 per cent of respondents backed the highschool scholar protests.
That they had essentially the most sympathy with scholar complaints in regards to the extreme dimension of lessons and with the necessity to renovate the nation’s crumbling faculties.
A knife rampage at a French faculty in April final yr left one lady useless and a number of youngsters combating for his or her lives.
A scholar armed with a knife launched the assault throughout a lunch break on the personal Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides highschool in Doulon space of Nantes, western France, on April 24, 2025.
The attacker, a 15-year-old boy who was named by native media as Justin P., first entered a classroom on the varsity’s second ground round noon the place he stabbed a one scholar earlier than going again downstairs to knife a minimum of three others.
One of many college students, a teenage lady, was killed and the opposite three had been injured within the rampage.
The attacker was pulled to the bottom by an info know-how supervisor, earlier than police arrived on the scene.
As armed police approached, Justin P. shouted ‘Shoot me within the head,’ at them.
The try to finish his life failed, as officers handcuffed him and led him away, having suffered a ‘slight reduce to the top and to at least one hand,’ mentioned one supply.
He was wearing black, and wore a bicycle helmet and a balaclava, in line with an investigating supply, who added that two blades – together with a searching knife – had been discovered subsequent to the attacker.
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