France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the killing of a Tunisian man in southern France to determine if it was a racially motivated attack linked to terrorism, officials said Monday.
The victim, believed to be about 35 years old, was shot dead by a neighbor late Saturday in the town of Puget-sur-Argens, according to the local prosecutor. A 25-year-old Turkish national was also wounded in the hand and hospitalized.
The anti-terror prosecutor’s office said it is investigating the killing as a racially motivated assassination and attempted assassination “in relation to a terrorist enterprise,” as well as suspected involvement in a terrorist criminal group.
Draguignan’s local prosecutor said the suspect is a 53-year-old man who practices shooting as a sport and posted hateful, racist content on social media before and after the shooting.
The attack comes amid heightened concerns over racism in France, following last month’s fatal stabbing of a Malian man, Aboubakar Cisse, in a mosque in the southern town of La Grand-Combe.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau condemned the shooting on social media, saying “racism must be severely punished.” Some of his critics accuse the government’s stance on immigration and Islam of fueling discrimination.
Official figures show racist, xenophobic or anti-religious crimes in France rose 11% last year. France, home to Europe’s largest Muslim population, has long grappled with tension over its secular values and growing religious diversity.
