Police Detain Student After Shooting at French Middle School Injures Two

Police have detained a 14-year-old student suspected of shooting and wounding his middle school principal and a teacher with a hunting rifle he concealed in a guitar case at Joseph Lakanal Middle School in Aubagne on Monday. According to local officials, the student fired multiple shots, injuring the principal and teacher in the legs before moving to the second floor and firing again. Marseille Public Prosecutor Nicolas Bessone stated that the suspect fired once or twice on the first floor before continuing to the second floor where he opened fire twice. A staff member disarmed the student before police arrived and took him into custody, as reported by Mayor Jean-Pierre Squillari. A third individual was grazed by a bullet during the incident, but the principal and teacher were not in critical condition after being hit with ammunition used in 12-gauge shotguns. One student recounted that her maths teacher initially dismissed the sound of the first gunshot as construction noise, but panic ensued after the second shot, prompting students to evacuate. France’s Education Minister Edouard Geffray commented on the event via X, stating that the incident reflects a rise in violence in society that must be addressed. Gun violence in schools is uncommon in France, with a notable incident occurring in 2017 when a 16-year-old student opened fire at a high school, injuring three students and the principal. The prime minister’s office announced that the interior and education ministers were en route to the scene. There is currently no information indicating that the shooting is connected to ongoing protests by high school students advocating for better-resourced schools.