Masked Gunmen Attack Wedding in France: 1 Dead, 5 Injured
A masked gang attacked a wedding ceremony in Thionville, France, resulting in one death and five injuries. Reports suggest the attack in the northeastern city was related to a drug traffickers’ feud.
The shooting occurred at the Eden Palace reception hall overnight from Saturday, June 29, to Sunday, June 30. Around 100 guests, mainly from the local Turkish community, were present.
A man in his 30s was killed, and three others were seriously injured around 1 a.m. Two of them are in critical condition. A pregnant woman sustained minor injuries and was in shock, while another man was hurt by glass shards.
Victims range from 25 to 50 years old.
The shooters, three masked men in black hoodies, fled before the police arrived and remain at large.
“It happened during a wedding,” a police source stated. “At 1:15 a.m., some people were smoking outside the hall when three armed men arrived and opened fire.”
Three victims were outside and two in the entrance when the gunmen fired over 15 rounds at the guests, local media reported. Witnesses claimed the attackers used two Kalashnikovs and a shotgun.
Prosecutor Nancy Francois Capin-Dulhoste confirmed, “Several dozen rounds were fired. Four people were hit by bullets. One has died, three are critically injured, and two others sustained minor injuries from glass shards.”
The attackers arrived in a 4X4 vehicle, possibly a BMW, according to sources. Law enforcement suspects the violence stemmed from a drug trafficking feud.
The deceased and the three injured men were known to authorities for drug-related issues, Le Parisien reported.
Investigators are examining how the assailants knew their targets would be isolated from the other guests during the attack.
“The wedding itself was not targeted, but individuals attending it,” a source explained.
Prosecutors say the shooting motives are still unknown. CCTV footage captured the attack, showing a glass door pierced by at least five bullets, likely causing the glass shard injuries. Thionville, near the Luxembourg and Germany borders, is a known hotspot for drug trafficking.