Paris, Oct 12 (IANS) A principal and a teacher were injured in a shooting incident at the Lakanal middle school in France’s Aubagne on Monday, French Minister of National Education, Edouard Geffray, said.
Geffray said that a student of the school was suspected of being behind the attack. Terming the shooting incident an “unacceptable act”, he affirmed that the National Education system will remain united and strong in the face of this attack.
“Two staff members from the National Education system, a principal and a teacher, were victims this morning of gunshot wounds at Lakanal middle school in Aubagne. A student is said to be the perpetrator. I am heading to the scene immediately with Nunez Laurent and Sabrina Roubache,” Geffray posted on X.
“In the face of this new attack, the National Education system will, as always, remain united and strong, around an educational community sorely tried. But this unacceptable act bears witness once again to the spread of unbridled violence in our society, against which we must all mobilise. In words as in deeds,” he added.
In a statement, Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said, “Shortly after 9 am, the school student fired once or twice in the common areas of the 1st floor, wounding the principal and a teacher, who were present in the corridor,” BFMTV reported.
He further mentioned that the student then went to the second floor and first fired in front of a teacher towards the ground and, a second time, inside an occupied classroom, with the shot hitting the blackboard.
The Marseille prosecutor’s office said that an investigation has been launched for “attempted murder.” The main suspect, a 14-year-old student of Joseph-Lakanal middle school, has been arrested and taken into custody.
Aubagne Mayor mentioned that the Chief Education Officer intercepted and disarmed the suspect. According to the mayor, the CPE removed him from the spot and handed him over to the police, BFM TV reported.
In a statement, the Marseille prosecutor’s office stated, “The perpetrator was subdued as he went back down the stairs by a member of the establishment’s staff.”
–IANS
akl/as
