Attack in Trappes and La Verrière: Who is Kevin T., the suspect in the shooting?

PROFILE•Suspected of killing one person and injuring five others on Friday in Trappes and La Verrière, in the Yvelines department, 39-year-old Kévin T. was known to the police but not to the intelligence services

An apartment rigged with gas cylinders, a submachine gun found in his car, and several prior convictions: the profile of Kevin T., suspected of killing one person and wounding five others on Friday in the Yvelines region, is becoming clearer. This 39-year-old man, arrested after the shooting in Trappes and La Verrière, was previously unknown to intelligence services. The National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) has opened an investigation for murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise, with the aggravating circumstance of a racist motive.

Born in 1987, Kévin T. lives in Plaisir, less than ten kilometers from Trappes. According to Le Parisien, he was already known to the police for theft, shoplifting, drug offenses, and driving under the influence of alcohol. In a statement released Friday, the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) specified that his criminal record included four convictions that had been "automatically expunged." According to a police source quoted by AFP, he is also listed in the criminal records database (TAJ). Le Parisien adds that he was also unknown to the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI).

A submachine gun and a booby-trapped apartment

The suspect was arrested in Coignières by officers from the anti-crime squad (BAC) after driving a Renault Clio through the streets of Trappes and La Verrière, firing bursts of gunfire at passersby. The National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) further stated that investigators discovered a Sten-type submachine gun and a tear gas canister in his vehicle. This automatic weapon dates back to World War II. Le Parisien also reported the presence of gloves and a substance that could be cocaine, information that has not been confirmed by toxicological analyses.

The investigation at his home revealed another element. The apartment had been rigged with "three gas cylinders and electrical wires connected to a timer." The RAID special forces and bomb disposal experts were called in to the scene. The building was evacuated and the neighborhood cordoned off in the afternoon. As of late afternoon, the search was still underway. According to a source close to the investigation, CRS 8, a unit specializing in combating urban violence, was deployed to the area.

The suspect remains in police custody

Taken into custody immediately after his arrest, Kevin T. had not yet been questioned by investigators by early evening. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) explained that his presence was required during the search of his home, in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure. His custody can last up to 96 hours. A second person, a member of his immediate family, was also taken into custody Friday afternoon, the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office announced.

The racist motive behind the attack is central to the investigation. During a visit to Trappes, Emmanuel Macron stated that the suspect had "spared people because of their skin color" and that he had "taken responsibility for his actions." The President denounced it as a "racist terrorist attack." The investigation, entrusted in particular to the Anti-Terrorist Sub-Directorate (SDAT) and the DGSI (General Directorate for Internal Security), also concerns the possession of a category A weapon and terrorist conspiracy to commit crimes against persons.