A 14-year-old student opened fire with a hunting rifle at a middle school in Aubagne, near Marseille, southern France, on Monday, injuring the school principal and a female teacher before being disarmed and detained by police.
The incident took place at Joseph-Lakanal Middle School during the morning. According to local authorities and prosecutors, the student entered the school carrying a hunting rifle concealed inside a guitar case and fired several shots at members of the school staff. The principal, 53, was injured in the hip, while a 37-year-old teacher was wounded in the thigh. A third person was reportedly grazed during the shooting.
Both main victims were taken to hospital, but authorities said their injuries were not life-threatening. No students were physically injured, according to the municipality of Aubagne.
A school supervisor reportedly confronted and disarmed the teenager in a corridor before police arrived and detained him. Students were evacuated from the building, while emergency psychological support was provided to pupils affected by the incident.
Witness accounts described scenes of panic as students ran from the school after hearing gunshots. French authorities have launched an investigation to establish how the student obtained the firearm and determine his motive.
The shooting comes as France faces several weeks of protests by high-school students over school conditions and resources, some of which have involved violence. However, authorities said there was no immediate evidence linking Monday’s shooting to the protests.
Related: France School Protests Show No Sign of Ending
French Education Minister Édouard Geffray condemned the attack, while senior government officials travelled to Aubagne following the incident. The case has renewed concerns about violence and security in French schools, although shootings carried out by students remain rare in the country.
