A 14-year-old boy has been arrested after opening fire with a hunting rifle at a middle school in southern France on Monday, injuring the school’s headmaster and a teacher before a staff member disarmed him.
The incident occurred at Joseph-Lakanal Middle School in Aubagne, near Marseille. Police said a third person also sustained a minor injury after being grazed by a bullet.
Marseille’s Deputy Public Prosecutor, Audrey Jouaneton, said the suspect arrived at the school carrying a bag resembling a guitar case, from which he removed the firearm.
According to authorities, the teenager fired at least four shots, including inside a classroom where teachers and students were present. One of the bullets reportedly left a mark on the classroom’s blackboard.
The school’s 53-year-old headmaster sustained pellet injuries to his thighs and lower back, while a 37-year-old teacher was hit in the thigh by buckshot. Both victims were said to be out of critical condition.
The prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône region, Jacques Witkowski, said the suspect’s motive remained unclear, adding that he had no known history of delinquency or radicalisation.
A student, identified only as Sarah, told AFP that she encountered the gunman in the corridor after the fire alarm sounded during her Spanish lesson. She said the suspect opened fire and claimed he had come for the teachers, not the students.
Police ruled out any apparent connection between the shooting and the recent protests by high school students across France.
An investigation into attempted murder has been launched to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
French President Emmanuel Macron praised the school staff for their swift response, saying their composure helped prevent further casualties.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and Education Minister Edouard Geffray visited the scene on Monday. Geffray condemned the attack, describing it as another indication of growing violence in society and calling for collective action to address the problem.
The shooting comes amid a series of violent incidents in French schools in recent months, prompting some institutions to introduce bag checks at their entrances.
In February, a 14-year-old student stabbed an art teacher in southern France, leaving the 60-year-old critically injured. In June last year, another 14-year-old student fatally stabbed a teaching assistant in eastern France.
A separate attack in April last year also saw a student stab several people in classrooms, injuring a girl and three other pupils.
