In an interview on BFMTV, the French Interior Minister said the brawl was linked to drug trafficking.

Shooting in Poitiers leaves five seriously injured, including a teenager in mortal danger

On the night of Thursday October 31, at around 10.45pm, a shootout broke out in the Couronneries district of Poitiers, leaving at least five people seriously injured, including a 15-year-old teenager, whose life is at risk after being shot in the head. Two other teenagers, aged 16, were also among the victims.

Tensions between rival gangs
The tragedy occurred during a gathering at a restaurant, which quickly degenerated into a brawl involving between 400 and 600 people, as Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau reported on BFMTV-RMC this morning. According to initial investigations, the shooting took place in the Place Coimbra, an area notorious for drug trafficking activities. Some individuals, arriving by car, opened fire before fleeing.

Police reinforcements deployed
On arrival at the scene, the police discovered five gunshot victims and numerous bullet holes in the facade of a bar. The situation was exacerbated by groups of youths who took the police to task, heightening tensions between rival gangs. Given the scale of the events, the Vienne prefecture announced that police reinforcements would be sent to the scene.

Faced with the scale of the events, the Vienne prefecture announced that police reinforcements would be sent to restore order.

A link with drug trafficking
Bruno Retailleau also stressed that the shooting was closely linked to drug trafficking, saying, “It’s linked, I can confirm that.” Investigators favor the theory of a settling of accounts between drug traffickers. He declared: “Today, narcoracailles have no limits. These shootings aren’t taking place in South America, they’re happening in Rennes, Poitiers, in this once peaceful western France. We’re at a tipping point, and we have to choose between a general mobilization or the Mexicanization of our country.”

Worrying context
The shooting comes against a worrying backdrop of resurgent drug-related violence in France, illustrated by other recent incidents, notably in Rennes, where a five-year-old child was shot and wounded in a neighborhood known to be a trafficking hotspot. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau plans to visit Rennes this Friday, November 1, to assess the situation.