The suspect was transferred to a psychiatric unit after an examination on 24 October. Prosecutors say observation, likely to last 48 hours, will assess whether questioning can resume.
France’s National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) said on 25 October that the Paris-area shooting suspect’s police custody had been lifted following a psychiatric examination on the evening of 24 October. La Verrière Mayor Nicolas Dainville also said a wounded 12-year-old girl was “doing better”, although she remained in critical condition.
The developments follow shootings from a vehicle in Trappes and neighbouring La Verrière, southwest of Paris, on 23 October 2026. One person was killed and five were wounded. The suspected attacker was arrested, and PNAT took over the investigation.
PNAT said the 39-year-old suspect, identified as Kevin T., was transferred to a police psychiatric unit on a psychiatric expert’s advice. Prosecutors had extended his detention on 24 October to continue questioning him, AFP said.
The office said observation would assess whether his psychiatric health allowed interrogation to continue. That assessment concerns fitness for questioning; it is not a ruling on criminal responsibility for the shootings.
A lawyer for the man killed criticised the move in comments to French media, the BBC said. The lawyer alleged that observation was being used to portray the suspect as criminally irresponsible rather than as having acted deliberately.
PNAT separately said traces of cannabis and cocaine had been found in the suspect’s blood.
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Three of the five wounded people were taken to hospital in serious condition. Dainville told France Info on 25 October that he had spoken by telephone with the wounded girl’s mother. He also described the conditions of two other injured residents.
| Wounded person | Condition |
|---|---|
| 12-year-old girl | Remained in critical condition; Dainville said she was “doing better”. |
| Another injured resident | Recovering, Dainville said. |
| A third injured resident | Remained in critical condition, Dainville said. |
Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said people at a petrol station, a medical centre and a playground were targeted. France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the shootings lasted almost 15 minutes. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the suspect’s arrest and placement in police custody.
On the night of 23 October, the prosecutor described all five wounded victims as medically unstable, in a statement carried by the Guardian. That assessment followed Dainville’s earlier statement to AFP that the girl was seriously injured but stable.
The prosecutor said police found a Sten submachine gun, an automatic firearm, and tear-gas grenades in the suspect’s car. Authorities also said his home had been booby-trapped with gas canisters and electrical wires connected to a timer, and that a family member had been detained for questioning.
The prosecutor’s earlier statement described three gas cylinders and electrical cables at the home. PNAT has since said the suspect had four previous convictions that had been “automatically expunged”, meaning cleared from his record.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron called the shootings a “racist terrorist attack” during his visit to Trappes on the night of 23 October, saying people had been targeted because of their skin colour. His office had also condemned the shootings in those terms.
Rabeh said the person killed was of African origin and one wounded person was of North African origin. He suggested a racist and possibly Islamophobic motive while cautioning against a definitive conclusion. Prosecutors urged caution about the victims’ identities, and Nuñez initially said the motive remained unclear.
PNAT is investigating suspected murder connected with a terrorist enterprise, including the alleged aggravating circumstance of targeting victims because of their real or perceived race, ethnicity, nationality or religion. The inquiry also covers suspected possession of a Category A weapon—a category including military-grade weapons or weapons capable of firing in bursts—and suspected conspiracy with a terrorist group to prepare crimes against people.
PNAT said psychiatric observation was likely to last 48 hours and would allow officials to assess whether interrogation could resume.
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