Five individuals have sustained critical injuries following a shooting that occurred late Thursday night in front of a restaurant in Poitiers, located in western central France.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has indicated that the incident is linked to drug trafficking and rival gang conflicts.
In a press statement, Minister Retailleau noted that between 400 and 600 people witnessed or were involved in the altercation.
He emphasized the connection to drug-related activities, stating, “The incident began with gunfire directed at the restaurant and escalated into a clash between rival gangs, involving hundreds of individuals.”
The minister described the current situation in France as a "turning point" regarding drug trafficking issues, coinciding with his visit to Rennes in northwest France, where a five-year-old boy was critically injured by a bullet to the head during a drug-related shootout the previous Saturday.
According to police sources, the condition of one of the injured, a 15-year-old minor, is critical.
The shooting unfolded between 10:30 PM and 11 PM. Tensions reportedly flared among different groups, prompting calls for police and gendarmerie intervention, as stated by the prefecture of Vienne.
In response to the violence, state authorities announced that additional police forces would be deployed in the area on Friday.
This morning, there were no immediate signs of the disturbance or the shooting, with reports from French news outlet France Bleu indicating that the neighborhood appeared calm, with empty streets and no police presence visible at dawn.
Follow the latest news on Google News
