A 14-year-old student carrying a shotgun concealed in a guitar case opened fire inside a middle school in southern France on Monday morning, injuring the principal and a teacher before being restrained by a staff member.
The shooting took place at Joseph-Lakanal Middle School in Aubagne, a city located 11 miles east of Marseille. According to regional officials, the ninth-grade student entered the building carrying a 12-gauge hunting rifle. Bouches-du-Rhône departmental council president Martine Vassal told reporters that several shots were heard after the student entered the school. Local police sources reported that the attack was not connected to ongoing nationwide student demonstrations and transport disruptions over school funding and staffing shortages.
Gunman Fires Shots on Two School Floors
Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone detailed the attacker’s movements through the school corridors. The teenager injured the 53-year-old head teacher and a 37-year-old female teacher on the first floor. The principal was shot in the leg and lower back, while the teacher’s thigh was hit.
The student then moved to the second floor.
Prosecutor Bessone added that neither the teacher nor the students in that classroom were injured, though they suffered severe psychological shock.
Students recounted hearing a fire alarm and encountering the gunman in the stairwells and hallways. Two pupils told broadcaster BFMTV that they came face-to-face with the shooter in the corridor.
“He was a metre away, with his hunting rifle. He fired at the ground.”
Unnamed student, via BFMTV
The student added that the gunman followed them for a short distance as they fled and screamed. Aubagne Mayor Jean-Pierre Squillari noted that most children inside the building saw practically nothing because the incident occurred in the hallway. Jean-Pierre Squillari further stated that a staff member intercepted, mastered, and disarmed the student before handing him over to law enforcement. The boy was restrained in a school corridor according to city hall statements.
Police Arrest Suspect and Parents After Weapons Search
Mayor Squillari confirmed that all students were immediately confined and made safe within seconds, and a psychological support unit was established on site. The injured educators were transported to a hospital with wounds described as not life-threatening. Those in a distressed state were examined by the on-site psychologist.
The Marseille prosecutor’s office opened a judicial investigation for attempted murder. Investigators searched the family home, leading to the discovery of weapons. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that both parents were taken into custody. According to reporting from RTL, the suspect’s father is a former military member and sports shooter.
Police sources cited by regional media indicated that the teenager was an isolated adolescent who had confided that he felt harassed, though the timeline and seriousness of any prior remarks are evaluated.
Leaders Condemn School Attack Across France
I salute the composure and exemplary response of the educational team, which made it possible to avoid the worst,
Macron wrote on social media.
Education Minister Geffray also shared a statement online, writing that this unacceptable act is further evidence of the rise of unchecked violence in society against which everyone must take a stand.