The attacker allegedly drove along a main thoroughfare, firing intermittently from the vehicle window, according to reports.
A local police chief told BFMTV that the suspect wielded “an older-style semi-automatic weapon” capable of burst fire, while Le Parisien reported the firearm dated back to World War Two.
Mayor Ali Rabeh stated the gunman targeted a health center, a petrol station, and several vehicles during the rampage.
The suspected shooter was subsequently apprehended in the neighboring town of Coignières, local media reported.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, while en route to Trappes, characterized the incident as a “murderous rampage,” though he noted the attacker’s motive remained undetermined.
The suspect, a 39-year-old male, was known to police but not flagged by France’s domestic intelligence services, according to local reports.
Rabeh suggested the African heritage of two victims might point to a potential racial motive.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) has assumed jurisdiction, citing the possession of a Category A weapon—a classification covering military-grade firearms and those capable of automatic fire—as well as potential conspiracy with a terrorist organization to prepare attacks against individuals.
President Emmanuel Macron expressed his “deep emotion” and solidarity with the victims, declaring: “In this terrible ordeal, the nation stands by their side.”
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