14-Year-Old Opens Fire with Hunting Rifle at French Middle School Near Marseille
A terrifying incident unfolded in southern France on Monday when a 14-year-old student opened fire with a hunting rifle at Joseph-Lacanal Middle School in Aubagne, located near Marseille, leaving three people injured, including the school's headmaster and a teacher. The campus was plunged into immediate chaos as the armed teenager discharged multiple rounds before courageous school staff intervened and physically disarmed him on the spot. Armed police units arrived rapidly at the scene to take the young suspect into custody, averting further bloodshed and securing the perimeter. Local authorities confirmed that while three individuals sustained injuries during the shooting spree, all victims were promptly attended to by emergency medical crews and are reported to be in stable condition with non-life-threatening wounds.
Rifle Smuggled in Guitar Case: Classroom Terror and Firing at Blackboard
Providing crucial details on how the teenager managed to sneak the long firearm onto school grounds, Audrey Juaneton, Deputy Public Prosecutor in Marseille, revealed that the student arrived at the school carrying a carrying bag resembling a standard guitar case to conceal the weapon. Once inside the educational facility, the suspect pulled out a long hunting rifle and fired at least four rounds, unleashing terror across the corridors and within an active classroom where teachers and pupils were present. Evidencing the close-range danger faced by students, at least one bullet struck the classroom blackboard while classes were underway, sparking frantic scrambles for safety among children and faculty members before school employees neutralized the threat.
Victims in Stable Condition: Headmaster and Teacher Disarmed by Brave Staff
Addressing the medical status of the wounded and the sequence of the attack, Jacques Witkowski, Prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, confirmed that the injuries sustained by the 53-year-old headmaster and the 37-year-old teacher are not considered critical. According to the prefect, the suspect directly targeted the headmaster for reasons that remain under investigation, striking him in the thighs and lower back before firing toward another teacher, who sustained injuries from ricocheting bullet splinters. A third person was also slightly hurt during the commotion. Witkowski praised the decisive courage of a school staff member who confronted the armed teenager and snatched the hunting rifle from his grasp, halting the attack before police secured the detention. Judicial authorities affirmed that the shooting appears completely isolated and bears no connection to recent high-school student protests taking place across France.
