An administrative investigation and judicial inquiry are underway after a 14-year-old student shot and injured the principal and a teacher at Collège Joseph-Lakanal in Aubagne on Monday. The suspect, who concealed a 12-gauge shotgun in a guitar case, was disarmed by the school’s educational advisor before being taken into police custody.
Morning gunfire and the intervention at Collège Lakanal
The attack unfolded around 10:00 a.m. inside the perimeter of the secondary school located on the periphery of Aubagne, Le Soir reported. The 14-year-old suspect entered the facility carrying a 12-gauge hunting rifle hidden inside a guitar case. According to details shared by the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture, the institution was not involved in any ongoing student protests at the time of the shooting.
The assailant fired at least four rounds, initially targeting the 53-year-old principal, who sustained shotgun pellet injuries to his thighs and lower back. The shooter then targeted a 37-year-old teacher, striking her in the thigh. According to accounts gathered by Agence France-Presse and reported by DHnet, the adolescent moved to the second floor, firing toward a teacher and into a classroom where a bullet impact was later marked on a blackboard by investigators.
The violence was halted when the establishment’s educational advisor (CPE) intervened, disarming the minor and extracting him from the immediate area before handing him over to law enforcement, BFM TV reported. Neither victim suffered life-threatening injuries. The injured teacher was treated and able to return home by Monday evening, while the principal remained hospitalized.
Parental custody and the unfolding judicial inquiry
The Marseille public prosecutor’s office opened a formal judicial investigation into the incident under the qualification of attempted assassination. Following the shooting, the mother of the 14-year-old suspect was placed in police custody as investigators inspected the family’s residence. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, speaking to journalists at the scene alongside Minister of Education Edouard Geffray, stated that investigators are examining how the adolescent gained access to the weapon.
Local authorities noted that the suspect was previously enrolled at the school but had no history of delinquency or radicalization. While student witnesses described him as a disruptive pupil who frequently accumulated behavioral reports, others noted he appeared calm.
Political responses and facility security measures
President Emmanuel Macron released a statement via social media praising the composure and exemplary reaction of the educational staff, which he credited with preventing further casualties. Regional officials also addressed infrastructural security following the event. Martine Vassal, president of the departmental council of the Bouches-du-Rhône, stated that while the previous administration at Collège Lakanal had declined security enhancements, the newly appointed principal had requested them.
| Incident Detail | Reported Fact |
|---|---|
| Date of Incident | Monday |
| Location | Collège Joseph-Lakanal, Aubagne, France |
| Suspect Profile | 14-year-old male student |
| Victims | School principal (53) and teacher (37) |
| Weapon Used | 12-gauge hunting rifle concealed in a guitar case |
| Legal Status | Investigation opened for attempted assassination; mother in custody |
The incident adds to a series of violent episodes recorded in French educational institutions in recent years, including a knife attack in Sanary-sur-Mer, and the fatal assault of a supervisor in Nogent and an adolescent in a lycée in Nantes last year. Public figures, including Jean-Luc Mélenchon, pointed to the age of the suspect as an indicator regarding the circulation of firearms and the availability of mental health support resources for adolescents.
