A Quiet Morning Shattered in Aubagne
A peaceful Monday morning in southern France turned into a scene of terror when a 14-year-old boy smuggled a shotgun into his middle school and opened fire. The shooting took place at the Lakanal middle school in Aubagne, a quiet community located about 11 miles east of Marseille. The suspect, a ninth-grade pupil, carried the weapon onto the premises hidden inside a guitar case.
Once inside, the teenager pulled out the firearm and shot both the school’s principal and a teacher. The quick action of a staff member prevented further bloodshed. The employee managed to overpower and restrain the boy in a hallway until police arrived and took him into custody.
Details of the Attack and Injuries
The victims are recovering, and local officials confirm their injuries are not life-threatening. The school’s 53-year-old head teacher was shot in the leg and lower back. A 37-year-old teacher was hit in the thigh. A third person sustained minor injuries during the incident, though authorities did not specify how. Fortunately, no children were physically hurt.
Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone described the boy’s path through the school. After wounding the two staff members on the first floor, the suspect headed to the second floor. He fired twice more. One shot was aimed at the floor right in front of another teacher. The other went into a classroom full of students, striking the blackboard.
“Neither [that] teacher nor the students were injured, though they were severely shaken,” Bessone said.
Terrified Students Recall the Chaos
The sudden gunfire triggered immediate confusion. Students initially thought a routine fire alarm was ringing. Two pupils told French broadcaster BFMTV that they headed for the stairs, only to be told to turn back. That is when they found themselves face-to-face with the gunman.
“He was a metre away, with his hunting rifle,” one student recalled. “He fired at the ground. We started to run away, but he followed us for a while. We started screaming.”
Aubagne Mayor Jean-Pierre Squillari praised the school’s emergency response. He noted that classrooms went into lockdown within seconds. Because the shooting happened in the corridors, most pupils did not see the actual violence. Still, the emotional impact was severe. A psychological support team was quickly set up on-site to help traumatized children and staff.
An Investigation Underway
The Marseille prosecutor’s office is treating the incident as an attempted murder and has opened a formal investigation. Police are working to determine a motive. Local reports suggest the attack is unrelated to recent protests regarding French school conditions.
While details remain scarce, Mayor Squillari revealed that the boy’s father had recently asked for a meeting with the school’s educational advisor. It is still unclear what prompted that request, or if it relates to the shooting.
National Shock and Political Reaction
The shooting has drawn condemnation from the top levels of the French government. President Emmanuel Macron posted a message of solidarity on X, formerly Twitter, offering his support to the victims and their families. He also praised the school staff for their bravery, writing that their composure “made it possible to avoid the worst.”
Education Minister Édouard Geffray and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez both traveled to the school on Monday. Geffray called the shooting an “unacceptable act” and said it reflects a broader rise in societal violence that must be addressed.