A French man accused of killing one person and injuring seven others in a shooting rampage near Paris has admitted deliberately targeting people he believed were Muslim or African, according to newly published details of his police interrogations.
Kevin Tessier, 39, allegedly carried out the attack on October 23 in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, firing an automatic weapon at people in the streets during a 20-minute rampage.
The attack killed 26-year-old Pengo Bossio Wangi and injured seven others, including an 11-year-old girl.
According to an investigation published by Le Monde on November 11, Tessier eventually acknowledged the racist nature of his actions during questioning by France’s anti-terrorism investigators.
He admitted choosing his victims according to their ethnicity or religion, specifically identifying people he perceived as Muslim, African or North African.
When questioned about his motives, Tessier reportedly claimed that France had been “colonised by Muslims” he described as Islamists and by Africans.
He also told investigators that he was acting for France and hoped his actions would make him an example for other French citizens.
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Mosque was reportedly an intended target
One of the most disturbing revelations concerns Tessier’s movements immediately before the shootings.
According to Le Monde, the suspect told investigators that he initially drove to a mosque in Trappes, apparently intending to begin his attack there.
However, after finding nobody outside the building, he drove away and began searching for targets elsewhere in the town.
Investigators believe he subsequently opened fire on several individuals and vehicles during an approximately eight-kilometre journey through Trappes and La Verrière.
Wangi, the man killed in the attack, suffered 21 bullet wounds, according to the autopsy findings reported by Le Monde.
Another victim, Samba Coulibaly, remained in a coma with life-threatening injuries at the time of the newspaper’s report.
The condition of the 11-year-old girl, who was reportedly targeted by nine shots, had improved.
Investigators have also uncovered evidence suggesting the attack was planned weeks in advance rather than carried out spontaneously.
According to AFP’s report on the prosecutor’s findings, Tessier was charged on October 29 with murder and attempted murder linked to a terrorist enterprise, with aggravating circumstances relating to the victims’ actual or perceived ethnicity, nationality or religion.
Police searches uncovered weapons-related equipment, nationalist material and a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
Investigators also discovered stickers bearing messages supportive of France’s far-right National Rally party, although their discovery does not establish any organisational connection between Tessier and the party.
The investigation suggests he had been acquiring equipment and preparing for violence before the October attack.
According to Le Monde, one of Tessier’s brothers told investigators that the suspect had long expressed hostility towards black people and Arabs.
Questions over terrorism and mental health
Despite acknowledging the racist motivation behind his actions, Tessier has denied that he intended to commit terrorism.
French anti-terrorism prosecutors are nevertheless investigating the shootings as suspected terrorist crimes.
His mental health has also been examined during the investigation. Although Tessier reportedly claimed to suffer from schizophrenia, psychiatric experts found no clear evidence of an active psychotic disorder requiring compulsory hospitalisation.
They identified personality difficulties and possible post-traumatic stress, but the question of his criminal responsibility remains subject to further assessment.
The case has also prompted questions about whether French authorities are doing enough to identify and prevent violence motivated by anti-Muslim racism and far-right extremism.
Lawyers representing victims have criticised what they regard as insufficient attention to far-right threats compared with other forms of terrorism.
Tessier remains in pre-trial detention. The allegations against him have not yet been determined at trial.
