Key facts
- A 14-year-old pupil shot and wounded two teachers at Joseph Lakanal middle school in Aubagne, France.
- The pupil used a hunting rifle, which was reportedly hidden in a guitar case.
- The headmaster, 53, and a teacher, 37, were injured in the shooting.
- A third person was grazed by gunfire.
- The suspect was disarmed by a staff member.
- The motive for the shooting is currently unknown.
A 14-year-old pupil opened fire with a hunting rifle at the Joseph Lakanal middle school in Aubagne, France, on Monday, injuring the headmaster and a teacher. The suspect, who reportedly brought the weapon in a guitar case, fired at least four shots before being disarmed by a staff member. The headmaster, 53, and the teacher, 37, sustained non-life-threatening injuries to their legs and lower back. A third person was grazed by gunfire.
Authorities stated that the shooting did not appear to be linked to the recent high school protests occurring in France. The suspect, who is in third grade, is not known to police for any history of delinquency or radicalization. Investigators are working to understand how the student obtained the weapon. The suspect's father has been taken into custody.
French President Emmanuel Macron commended the quick reaction of the teaching staff for preventing further harm. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and Education Minister Édouard Geffray visited the scene. Geffray described the act as unacceptable and evidence of rising unchecked violence in society.
This incident follows a series of violent events at French schools in recent months, leading some institutions to implement bag checks. Previous incidents include a stabbing of an art teacher in February and a fatal stabbing of a teaching assistant last year.