Racist attack in Trappes: thousands gather in Lyon, Marseille, Paris… the suspect’s custody continues
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After the 23 October shooting in Trappes and La Verrière, thousands of people gathered on 26 October in Lyon, Marseille, Paris and elsewhere to pay tribute to the victims and against racism. The suspect’s custody continues.
In this article
The essentials
According to franceinfo, thousands of people gathered on Monday 26 October, notably in Lyon, Marseille and Paris, in tribute to the victims of the “racist attack” carried out on Friday 23 October in the Yvelines. Emmanuel Macron called the attack a “racist terrorist attack”. The suspect’s custody resumed on the early afternoon of 26 October.
What happened
According to AP and AFP dispatches, the shooting began around 10 am on Friday 23 October in Trappes, about thirty kilometres west of Paris, then continued in neighbouring La Verrière. The attack took place at three sites and lasted about fifteen minutes. The suspect was arrested around 10:20 am in Coignières. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez praised the reaction of five police officers from an anti-crime squad.
The victims
A 26-year-old man died (born in 2000, according to AP). Five people were wounded, three of them in life-threatening condition according to AP; among them a 12-year-old girl hit by eight bullets, “in absolute emergency” according to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office (Pnat) on Saturday at noon. According to the mayor of La Verrière, two maintenance workers cleaning a school were also injured. The current condition of the girl and the other injured is not stated in the articles consulted.
The suspect and the investigation
The suspect is a 39-year-old man, referred to in the press by his initials, Kévin T., who has four prior convictions according to AFP. The Pnat says a Sten-type submachine gun and a tear-gas canister were found in his vehicle and that his apartment was booby-trapped with gas bottles and wires connected to a timer. Four relatives, including his parents, are also in custody (three according to some media). A blood analysis is under way. The investigation is open for murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise, with the aggravating circumstance of racial, ethnic, national or religious motive, according to the press.
The suspect’s position and reactions
According to franceinfo, the suspect does not dispute the facts but their racist character. According to AP, Emmanuel Macron said the suspect’s remarks suggest a premeditated act aimed at people because of their skin colour or presumed religion. Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh denounced an “attack with racist, probably Islamophobic, overtones”. Marine Le Pen (RN) said “justice must be implacable”.
To keep in mind
The suspect is presumed innocent until a final conviction. The motive remains under investigation officially. The articles differ slightly on the number of relatives held in custody and on some items found; we have kept only what several sources agree on. We do not detail the victims’ personal information here.
What we do not know yet
The articles consulted do not say whether the suspect has been formally charged, the officially established motive, the girl’s current condition, the results of the blood analysis, or the exact role of the relatives in custody. A follow-up will be added.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The present indicative
est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)
Le suspect est un homme de 39 ans, désigné dans la presse par ses initiales, Kévin T., qui compte quatre anciennes condamnations selon l’AFP.Key pointsÊtre in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.
02The passé composé
present of avoir + past participle
Emmanuel Macron a qualifié l’attaque d’« attaque terroriste raciste ».Key pointsThe passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.
03The passé composé of pronominal verbs
se + present of être + past participle
Après la fusillade du 23 octobre à Trappes et La Verrière, des milliers de personnes se sont rassemblées le 26 octobre à Lyon, Marseille, Paris et ailleurs en hommage aux victimes et contre le racisme.Key pointsThe passé composé of a pronominal verb (se + verb) always uses être as auxiliary (il s’est diffusé / elles se sont réunies). Se changes with the subject: me, te, se, nous, vous. The past participle usually agrees with the subject in gender and number.
04The imparfait
stem (nous form of the present) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient
Selon le maire de La Verrière, deux agents d’entretien qui nettoyaient une école ont aussi été blessés.Key pointsThe imparfait describes states, background, habits and actions in progress in the past (il était, elle avait, ils pensaient). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons, and add -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient. If the passé composé gives “the event itself”, the imparfait paints “the situation at the time”.
05The futur simple
stem (infinitive) + -ai / -as / -a / -ons / -ez / -ont
Marine Le Pen (RN) a estimé que « la justice se devra d’être implacable ».Key pointsThe futur simple means “will do” or “is planned to”. Add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont to the infinitive (participer → il participera). Watch the irregular stems: être → ser-, avoir → aur-, aller → ir-, faire → fer-, pouvoir → pourr-, voir → verr-. In the news it is used for fixed plans and outlooks.
06The passive voice in the present
être (est / sont) + past participle (+ par / de)
L’état actuel de la fillette et des autres blessés n’est pas précisé dans les articles consultés.Key pointsThe passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).
07The passive in the passé composé
a / ont été + past participle
Le suspect a été interpellé vers 10 h 20 à Coignières.Key pointsThe past passive means “was done”. Its form is present of avoir + été (past participle of être) + past participle. Été does not change, but the last participle agrees with the subject in gender and number (la loi a été votée / les textes ont été votés). It is frequent in news reporting results such as votes, decisions and announcements.
08Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
L’état actuel de la fillette et des autres blessés n’est pas précisé dans les articles consultés.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
09Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon franceinfo, des milliers de personnes se sont rassemblées le lundi 26 octobre, notamment à Lyon, Marseille et Paris, en hommage aux victimes de l’« attentat raciste » commis le vendredi 23 octobre dans les Yvelines.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
10The subject relative pronoun qui
noun + qui + verb
Selon le maire de La Verrière, deux agents d’entretien qui nettoyaient une école ont aussi été blessés.Key pointsQui continues a description of the person or thing just mentioned (“the one that does…”). Because qui is itself the subject of the next verb, do not repeat the subject. The verb agrees with the noun qui refers to.
11Dates and their prepositions
le + 日付 / du … au …
La garde à vue du suspect a repris le 26 octobre en début d’après-midi.Key pointsLe 15 octobre means “on 15 October”. Distinguish the le before a date from the le that marks a weekly habit like a weekday. Du is de + le and au is à + le, so decide the meaning from the verb and period expressions around them. Their role depends on the group: a range of dates, the date of a bulletin or another complement.
12Marking an opposition or a reservation
mais / cependant / toutefois / en revanche
Selon franceinfo, le suspect ne conteste pas la réalité des faits mais leur caractère raciste.Key pointsThese continue with something that contrasts with the preceding content, or a reservation to note. Mais is the widely usable “but” and en revanche stresses the contrast. After the connector, information may come that corrects the first impression.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
franceinfoによると、26日（月）、リヨン、マルセイユ、パリなどで、数千人が集まり、10月23日（金）にイヴリーヌ県で起きた「人種差別によるテロ」の犠牲者に、追悼をささげました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Indicating the subject: について
noun + について
報道の間で、勾留された身近な人の数や、容疑者の持ち物についての書き方が、少し違います。Key pointsAs in “予算について”, it shows the topic to be talked about or explained. In the form “〜についての報道”, の is added so that the group qualifies the following noun.
03Giving examples with など
noun / expression + など
10月23日にパリ西郊のトラップとラ・ヴェリエールで起きた銃撃事件で、26日、リヨン、マルセイユ、パリなどで、数千人が、犠牲者をしのび、人種差別に反対する集会を開きました。Key points“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.
04The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
容疑者の勾留は、26日の昼すぎに、再開されました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
05Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
負傷者は5人で、AP通信は、そのうち3人が命に関わる状態だと伝えました。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.
06Linking actions with the て-form
verb て-form + next expression
容疑者の勾留は続いています。Key pointsThe て-form links actions in a series, in order or as a reason. In “確認して、出発する” the relation is judged from the content. In “〜ている” it can show an action in progress or a continuing state.