Trappes shooter claims to have acted for France during deadly rampage
The main suspect in the October racist attack in Trappes told investigators he was liberating his country, while police revealed a list of left-wing figures found at his home.
By Marina Weber ·
Kévin Tessier, the 39-year-old primary suspect in the October 23 racist terror attack in the Paris suburb of Trappes, stated during police custody that he was acting on behalf of France. The deadly rampage resulted in one fatality and five injuries, prompting a formal investigation for murder and attempted murder within a terrorist enterprise.
French anti-terrorism prosecutors disclosed on Wednesday that investigators discovered a sticky note at the suspect's residence. This note contained the names and mobile phone numbers of four public figures associated with the political left. Tessier explained to detectives that he had sourced the contact details from a website listing leaked data and categorized the individuals as leftists.
The individuals listed on the note included Green Party members of parliament Aymeric Caron and Sandrine Rousseau, David Guiraud from the France Unbowed party, and Assa Traoré, a prominent activist known for campaigns against racism and police violence. Both Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of France Unbowed, and Marine Tondelier, the Green Party leader, expressed alarm on social media regarding the existence of this list.
Despite the presence of the list, Tessier denied having a specific plan to target the four individuals. He told investigators, No, no, no, I had just taken the numbers but I had no project under way. Prosecutors confirmed that no other evidence in the case file supports the existence of a considered plan for violent action against these specific targets.
During his interrogation, Tessier described his actions during the shooting. He admitted to firing at a black man walking alone, followed by two men he believed to be of North African origin. The prosecutors noted that the crime was committed due to the victims' actual or supposed membership in a particular race, ethnic group, nation, or religion, which serves as an aggravating circumstance under French law.
The suspect also recounted an incident involving a woman wearing a veil. He stated that he attempted to shoot her, but the gun jammed. He described a young black girl in a veil walking past alone, saying he stopped in the middle of the road, ran toward her, and told her to pray. He repeated this phrase twice before firing. The victim, who is now seriously injured, was 11 years old.
When police informed Tessier that the victim was a child, he replied that he would never have done that to a child but expressed no regret for the action. He questioned the utility of regret by stating, It's too late anyway. Why regret it? Investigators recovered 128 bullet casings from various locations at the scene.
Tessier rejected the label of terrorist, insisting that his actions were about liberating his country. He argued that the situation has nothing to do with terrorism and that perhaps people need to wake up and open their eyes instead of burying their heads in the sand. The investigation continues as prosecutors build their case against the suspect.
