Massive shootout sparks battle between ‘up to 600 people’ in France: Minister condemns the country’s ‘Mexicanisation’ as drug gang violence spirals

A teenager and five others, including two teenage girls, were seriously injured in a mass shooting linked to drug trafficking in western France, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Friday, in the latest gun battle that left children injured.

The gunfight broke out in front of a restaurant in Poitiers, reportedly the kebab shop ‘L’Othentik’, at night after shots were fired from a passing car, wounding a number of people,” the minister said.

French police told Le Figaro that “at least twelve” bullet holes, believed to be 22 caliber bullets, were seen in the facade of the restaurant, while weapons were found at the scene.

“What started as a shooting in a restaurant ended in a fight between rival gangs involving several hundred people,” Retailleau said.

Police said between 400 and 600 people were involved in the violence that escalated in the aftermath of the shooting, which reportedly took place “against a backdrop of tensions between communities in the Maghreb and Guadeloupe.”

The 15-year-old boy who was shot in the head was between life and death, he said.

The gunfight broke out at night in front of a restaurant in Poitiers, reportedly the kebab shop ‘L’Othentik’ (photo).

French newspaper Le Parisien reported that the boy’s family had been informed that he had been left in a state of “brain dead” after being rushed to the nearby University Hospital of Poitiers.

The newspaper also reported that the other four wounded, three 16-year-olds and another 15-year-old, were also rushed to hospital after receiving shots in the shoulder, head, ankle and feet, although they suffered less seriously be ready. condition.

Police in the city said they were sending reinforcements to calm tensions.

The minister warned that the country is at a ‘tipping point’ when it comes to violence in the drug trade.

“These shootings are not taking place in South America, but in Rennes, in Poitiers, in this part of western France once known for its tranquility,” he said grimly.

“We are at a tipping point and the choice we have today is a choice between general mobilization or the Mexicanization of the country,” he said, citing Mexico’s deep problem with cartel violence.

Léonore Moncond’huy, the mayor of Poitiers, said the incident was “a new episode of violence that is unacceptable for the neighborhood.”

‘The youth of the victims and those involved is particularly striking and worrying. “I wish speedy recovery of the injured and I appeal to everyone’s responsibility to maintain peace in the city,” she added.

‘The city of Poitiers salutes the security forces for their intervention and their upcoming reinforced presence. She also welcomes the mobilization of the Maison de district des Couronneries.

“The city calls for an investigation to clarify the precise circumstances of the event as quickly as possible and to enable the identification and arrest of the perpetrators.”

Retailleau added that he planned to travel later in the day to the northwestern city of Rennes, where a five-year-old child was also in a life-and-death condition after being shot on Saturday during another gunfight linked to drug trafficking.

Drug trafficking in France has long been concentrated in major cities such as Marseille, where at least 17 drug-related murders have been reported since the start of the year.

But the problem is increasingly spreading to other cities and towns in France, including areas normally associated with tourism.

More to follow.