Law enforcement detained a student following a shooting incident at a French school on Monday that left a principal and a teacher injured.
Jean-Pierre Squillari, the mayor of Aubagne, confirmed the ninth-grader was taken into custody immediately following the altercation at Lakanal Middle School. French outlets report the suspect is 14 years old.
Mayor Squillari clarified that no pupils were injured, noting that the staff members sustained non-life-threatening wounds.
According to sources briefed on the probe, broadcasters BFMTV and Le Parisien stated that authorities do not believe the attack is connected to current unrest regarding education conditions.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced the details on social media: “Two National Education staff members, one a principal and one a teacher, suffered gunshot wounds this morning at Lakanal Middle School in Aubagne.
“A student is believed to be responsible.”
Geffray is scheduled to tour the site near Marseille in southern France later on Monday, accompanied by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
Reports indicate the student entered the campus armed before gunfire erupted, after which an employee subdued the individual.
The 53-year-old headteacher was shot in the leg, and the 37-year-old teacher sustained a wound to the thigh.
In a subsequent social media update, Squillari stated: “All pupils were locked down and secured within seconds.”