France at ‘tipping point’ after shootout between 400 gang members | World

Five people, including teenagers, were seriously injured in a major shooting in France as the country’s drug-related violence becomes critical.

The incident involved “several hundred people” in the western French city of Poitiers, Interior Minister Bruno Retaillot said.

The violence is believed to be linked to drug trafficking, a huge problem the government is trying to tackle.

As a result of the shooting, a 15-year-old teenager was seriously wounded by a bullet in the head, and two other teenagers were wounded in the shoulders and ankles.

Retailo explained to BFMTV/RMC radio how the shooting began at a restaurant in the Couronnerie area, where rival gangs clashed. The situation quickly escalated and several hundred people were involved.

The shootout began around 10:45 pm on Thursday when police found the first victim on the ground. The men in the vehicle reportedly opened fire at the restaurant, located in the area of a known drug trafficking hub.

“We are at a turning point, and the choice is between general mobilization or Mexicanization of the country,” Retailo warned.

Poitiers Mayor Leonore Moncond’huy said the shooting was “another unacceptable episode of violence.” He emphasized the “young age of the victims and participants” and praised the work of the police.

The retailer has vowed to take tougher action against drug trafficking and violence that is plaguing the country, spreading beyond France’s major cities to smaller towns.

In a separate incident last week, a five-year-old boy was tragically shot in the head in the northwestern city of Rennes. Retail said it would go to the area where it happened.

The child was shot while he was in a car with his father. Intelligence agencies have identified Rennes as one of the city’s largest drug trafficking areas.

Speaking about what he sees as the “Mexicanization” of France, the minister said: “These shootings are not happening in South America, they are happening in Rennes, Poitiers, in this western France once known for its tranquility. We’re at a tipping point.”