French police detained a 14-year-old student suspected of shooting a principal and teacher at a middle school in Aubagne. The suspect hid a hunting gun in a guitar case; injuries were not life-threatening.
French police detained a 14-year-old pupil suspected of opening fire at the Joseph Lakanal middle school in Aubagne, France, on Monday. The suspect wounded the school’s principal and a teacher with a hunting gun he had hidden in a guitar case, according to prosecutors.
The shooting occurred at the middle school located about 15 kilometers (9 miles) east of Marseille. Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone stated that the pupil fired once or twice on the first floor, wounding the principal and the teacher in the legs. According to Marseille deputy prosecutor Audrey Jouaneton and police, the victims were hit with pellets used in 12-gauge shotguns. Both were transported to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
The suspect then moved to the second floor and opened fire twice more. The first shot hit the floor in front of a teacher, and the second struck a teaching board inside a classroom. No teachers or pupils in that classroom were hit, though they were described as "very shocked" by Bessone. A staff member intercepted the boy in a stairwell and disarmed him before police arrived. Jouaneton praised the staff member’s actions as showing "extreme courage."
Aubagne Mayor Jean-Pierre Squillari confirmed that no pupils were injured and that mental health counseling was being offered to students. He stated that students were confined and made safe within seconds of the incident. The Marseille public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation for "attempted murder," according to reports citing the BBC. The suspect’s motive remains unknown.
French President Emmanuel Macron praised the school staff on X, acknowledging their "cold-bloodedness and the exemplary response" which he said "prevented the worst." Education Minister Édouard Geffray also commented on X, stating: "This unacceptable act once again highlights the rise of unbridled violence in our society, against which we must all mobilize. In words as well as deeds."
Gun violence perpetrated by pupils in schools is rare in France. In 2017, a 16-year-old student armed with a rifle, pistols, and a small grenade opened fire at a high school in southern France, wounding three students and the principal. Stabbings by pupils are also uncommon, though incidents occurred in 2025, including a middle school employee stabbed to death by a 14-year-old and a high school student stabbing four others, killing one.
Authorities stated there was no immediate information suggesting the shooting was connected to ongoing protests by high school pupils demanding better-resourced schools. Police confirmed that the Joseph Lakanal middle school was not impacted by these protests on Monday.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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