A man in his 30s was fatally shot and several others were injured during a shooting at a Turkish wedding in northeastern France, according to police reports.
Three hooded gunmen reportedly arrived at the reception venue in Thionville late on Saturday night and opened fire on guests.
French media, citing police sources, indicate that the incident at the Eden Palace venue around 01:15am local time was likely related to feuds between known gangs in the Moselle region.
Among the wounded was a pregnant woman, with three others reportedly in critical condition at the nearby Bel-Air hospital.
Approximately 100 people were attending the celebration when the assailants arrived in a 4×4 vehicle, according to reports from Lorraine, near the borders of Germany and Luxembourg.
“At a quarter past one in the morning, a group of people went outside to smoke in front of the hall, and then three heavily-armed men opened fire in their direction,” a police source told AFP.
The attackers allegedly used automatic weapons and shotguns, firing “several dozen times,” according to Nancy prosecutor Francois Capin-Dulhoste, resulting in four people being struck by bullets, aged between 25 and 50 years old.
By the time emergency services arrived, the gunmen had already fled the scene.
Local newspaper Le Républicain Lorrain reports that authorities are investigating whether the vehicle used in the attack originated from Germany or Luxembourg, located approximately 15km (9.3 miles) away.
The border region of Lorraine has frequently experienced violent incidents associated with drug trafficking.
According to Le Parisien, both the deceased and the injured have prior involvement in cases related to drug offenses.
A similar shooting in May 2023 in the nearby town of Villerupt left five people wounded in a clash between rival gangs.
Source-BBC
