Shooting in Nice’s Mills District Leaves Two Dead, Intensifies Security Response
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A violent shooting in the priority district of Les Moulins in Nice, France, on Friday evening resulted in two fatalities and five injuries, prompting a significant security deployment including reinforcements from the CRS 81 riot police unit. Authorities are investigating the incident as a case of “voluntary homicides in an organized gang and attempted homicide in organized gang.”
Immediate Response and Ongoing Investigation
The Alpes-Maritimes prefecture announced Saturday that approximately sixty members of the CRS (Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité) were dispatched to reinforce security in Nice following the shooting. By decision of the Minister of the Interior, the CRS 81 unit was deployed to the neighborhood Friday night and will remain “the necessary time,” according to a prefecture press release. Currently, over 100 security personnel – including CRS and BAC (Brigade Anti-Criminalité) officers – are actively working to secure the area.
A medico-psychological emergency unit has also been established to provide support to residents affected by the violence.
Vehicle of Suspects Located
Investigators have located the vehicle believed to have been used by the suspects. A police source reported the vehicle was found burned in Mougins, approximately 25 kilometers from Nice. As of Saturday, the vital prognosis of one of the five injured individuals remained uncertain. The Alpes-Maritimes judicial police are leading the investigation, with further details expected to be released by the prosecution later Saturday.
Long-Term Investment and Repressive Measures
The prefecture defended its efforts to address issues in Les Moulins, highlighting a commitment of two million euros annually to the district through educational support and access to public services. Additionally, 75 million euros have been invested in the area as part of a new national urban renewal program.
On a more repressive front, a senior official indicated that 300 individuals from Les Moulins and the neighboring sensitive district of Ariane have been incarcerated since the beginning of the year. The shooting occurred in the main square of Les Moulins, a district of 8,000 residents grappling with significant drug trafficking challenges.
