France charges man who admitted targeting Muslims, Africans and North Africans
Prosecutors say the 39-year-old admitted choosing the location because it was a "hotbed for Islamists", after one person was killed and seven injured near Paris.
At a glance
- A 39-year-old man identified as Kevin T was charged in France with murder and attempted murder in a terrorist case.
- Prosecutors say he admitted targeting people who appeared Muslim, African or North African near Paris.
- One person, Pengo Bossio Wangi, 26, was killed and seven others injured in the attack last Friday.
A 39-year-old man in France has been charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with what prosecutors describe as a terrorist enterprise, after admitting that he targeted people "who appeared to be Muslim, African, or North African".
France's anti-terrorism prosecutor's office confirmed on Thursday that the suspect, identified as Kevin T, had been formally charged. Prosecutor Olivier Christen said Kevin admitted he chose the location of the attack because it was "a hotbed for Islamists". Before changing his account on Thursday, the suspect had disputed that the attack was racist in nature.
What happened
One person was killed and seven others were injured last Friday when a man fired at people from his car as he drove through the towns of Trappes and La Verriere, west of Paris. He was arrested later that day. A child was among the victims, and most of those hit were of foreign heritage.
The person killed was Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old French citizen of Congolese heritage.
Christen said the suspect told investigators he felt "no regret", but had not intended to "kill children". He added that he "might have been mistaken due to their size".
Weapons and searches
A search of Kevin's home turned up "weapons or weapon components, specifically a magazine, two pairs of brass knuckles, a steel bayonet, and a silencer", officials said. Police also found a copy of Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf, along with a Quran, a Bible and stickers celebrating Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party.
Christen said the suspect had displayed a "very high level of preparation" ahead of the attack. In September, he acquired "several weapon components designed to enhance the tactical effectiveness of a Sten submachine gun, as well as a police armband and handcuffs", the prosecutor said.
Christen added that Kevin stated he was neither a member of nor a sympathiser with any political party.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- Who was killed in the Trappes and La Verriere shooting?
- Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old French citizen of Congolese heritage, was killed. Seven other people were injured in the attack last Friday, and a child was among the victims.
- What charges does the suspect face in France?
- The 39-year-old, identified as Kevin T, has been charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with a "terrorist" enterprise, France's anti-terrorism prosecutor's office said.
- What did police find at the suspect's home?
- Officials said they found weapons or weapon components including a magazine, two pairs of brass knuckles, a steel bayonet and a silencer, along with Mein Kampf, a Quran, a Bible and National Rally stickers.
