Journal De Bruxelles - French shooting suspect targeted Muslims, Africans: prosecutor

Last Friday, the 39-year-old, identified as Kevin T., opened fire with a submachine gun from a moving vehicle as he drove through the towns of Trappes and La Verriere, west of Paris. He was arrested later that day. Most of the victims were of foreign origin.

The attack came in an increasingly tense political climate, with presidential elections just six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls.

On Thursday, the suspect was charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise, said the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office (PNAT).

Earlier this week Kevin T. had contested the racist nature of the attack.

National terrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen told reporters Thursday that Kevin T. now claimed he had chosen the location for his actions because it was "a hotbed for Islamists".

The suspect has been held in police custody, Christen said, noting that he had requested that he be held in pretrial detention.

- 'No regret' -

Authorities initially said five people, including an 11-year-old child, had been wounded in the attack, but later revised the toll to seven injured.

Three victims were still in hospital Thursday, one of them in life-threatening condition.

Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old French national of Congolese origin, was killed in the attack.

Kevin T. rejected suggestions he had "intended to kill children," but that he "might have been mistaken due to their size".

He stated that he "feels no regret," Christen said.

The prosecutor noted the "very high level of preparation" behind the attack, including the acquisition in September of "several weapon components designed to enhance the tactical effectiveness of a Sten submachine gun, as well as a police armband and handcuffs".

Kevin T. denied any "terrorist intent", viewing his actions as "legitimate", the prosecutor said.

A search of the suspect's home had uncovered "weapons or weapon components, specifically a magazine, two pairs of brass knuckles, a steel bayonet, and a silencer", Christen said.

Also found were several books, including a Quran, a Bible, and Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, as well as stickers celebrating Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party.

- 'RN provided ideological ammunition' -

Christen said the stickers bore slogans such as "Long live France, RN, proud to be French", but they were not produced by the RN party.

Kevin T. had told investigators he had designed them himself, then ordered them to be manufactured via Amazon.

The suspect told investigators he was neither a member of nor a sympathiser with any political party, Christen added.

According to a source close to the investigation, Kevin T. had become increasingly radicalised by far-right ideology over the past decade, blaming Arabs and Black people for "everything".

Romain Ruiz, a lawyer for one of the victims, said: "What this man's statements show is that the National Rally provided him with ideological ammunition, and that this ammunition is what came out of his gun on Friday."

Kevin T., who has four previous convictions, said he had suffered from psychological problems and had used drugs since the age of 13.

The attack has triggered protests against the normalisation of racist hatred.

In an interview on the YouTube channel HugoDecrypte on Wednesday, Macron suggested that "certain political movements on the far right" -- including the RN and "those close to them" -- had allowed a climate of racism "to take root".

RN lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy retorted that it was the president himself who had allowed "hateful ideologies" to flourish.

Authorities banned a far-right, radical-leaning symposium on "remigration" -- scheduled for Saturday in the suburbs of Paris -- and a demonstration planned for Sunday in the capital.

S.Vandenberghe--JdB