Child killed in shooting in south of France
A 10-year-old boy was killed during a shootout between four gunmen in southern France on Monday night.
The shooting took place in Nîmes in south east France at around 11pm on Monday.
Franceinfo reported that a local man had been trying to park after driving home from a restaurant with his two nephews when the incident occurred.
Two of the people in the car - the driver and his 10-year-old nephew - were hit by gunfire. The driver's other nephew was reportedly not harmed.
Police say they believe the shooting was related to a 'settling of scores' between drug gangs in the city.
The motorist - who was not known to police - drove directly to the hospital afterwards, where the boy died on arrival. The motorist's condition was considered to be 'life-threatening' as of Tuesday morning, according to Le Parisien.
Local prosecutor Cecile Gensac told reporters on Tuesday that the victim's family "was absolutely not associated in any way, neither before nor currently, in acts of a criminal nature."
Police are working on the assumption of mistaken identity, with the Renault Clio being driven by the boy's uncle resembling a car used in a separate drive-by shooting at the weekend.
A police source told Franceinfo that at least four men fired their weapons during the incident.
The suspects were reportedly in a stolen vehicle, which was later found, according to France Bleu Gard Lozère. Approximately 10 shell casings were found at the scene.
François-Xavier Debonneville, one of the heads for the département's Alliance Police Nationale union told France Bleu the event was "terrible and unnacceptable".
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said the shooting appeared to be related disputes among drug traffickers, calling it "a huge tragedy that will not go unpunished".
The minister added that French police have increased arrests of those involved in drug trafficking, and plan to continue "intensifying their presence".
Nîmes : un enfant de 10 ans tué lors de ce qui semble être un règlement de comptes entre trafiquants. C’est un immense drame qui ne restera pas impuni. La police a déjà interpellé de nombreux trafiquants ces dernières semaines et va intensifier sa présence avec fermeté.
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) August 22, 2023
The southern port city of Marseille, around 100 kilometres from Nîmes, remains a key entry point for drugs into Europe and has suffered decades of violent crime between rival criminal networks as a result.
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The shooting took place in Nîmes in south east France at around 11pm on Monday.
Franceinfo reported that a local man had been trying to park after driving home from a restaurant with his two nephews when the incident occurred.
Two of the people in the car - the driver and his 10-year-old nephew - were hit by gunfire. The driver's other nephew was reportedly not harmed.
Police say they believe the shooting was related to a 'settling of scores' between drug gangs in the city.
The motorist - who was not known to police - drove directly to the hospital afterwards, where the boy died on arrival. The motorist's condition was considered to be 'life-threatening' as of Tuesday morning, according to Le Parisien.
Local prosecutor Cecile Gensac told reporters on Tuesday that the victim's family "was absolutely not associated in any way, neither before nor currently, in acts of a criminal nature."
Police are working on the assumption of mistaken identity, with the Renault Clio being driven by the boy's uncle resembling a car used in a separate drive-by shooting at the weekend.
A police source told Franceinfo that at least four men fired their weapons during the incident.
The suspects were reportedly in a stolen vehicle, which was later found, according to France Bleu Gard Lozère. Approximately 10 shell casings were found at the scene.
François-Xavier Debonneville, one of the heads for the département's Alliance Police Nationale union told France Bleu the event was "terrible and unnacceptable".
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said the shooting appeared to be related disputes among drug traffickers, calling it "a huge tragedy that will not go unpunished".
The minister added that French police have increased arrests of those involved in drug trafficking, and plan to continue "intensifying their presence".
Nîmes : un enfant de 10 ans tué lors de ce qui semble être un règlement de comptes entre trafiquants. C’est un immense drame qui ne restera pas impuni. La police a déjà interpellé de nombreux trafiquants ces dernières semaines et va intensifier sa présence avec fermeté.
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) August 22, 2023
The southern port city of Marseille, around 100 kilometres from Nîmes, remains a key entry point for drugs into Europe and has suffered decades of violent crime between rival criminal networks as a result.
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