One person was killed and five injured, three of them seriously, in a shooting at a wedding in Thionville, in Moselle, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, with the investigation focusing on organised crime.
Three of the injured are “in absolute emergency”, announced in a press release the Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction (Jirs) of Nancy, in favor of which the Thionville public prosecutor’s office has resigned.
Earlier, police sources reported two victims in critical condition, one of whom was in a “desperate” state. The three perpetrators of the shooting fled.
“Four people were shot. Two other people also suffered minor injuries, notably due to shards of glass,” according to the press release.
The investigation “continues under the classification of murder by an organized gang and attempted murder by an organized gang, indicated the Jirs. At this stage, the motives for the shooting remain unknown.”
The incident took place at the Eden Palace, a reception hall specialising in weddings, where around a hundred people were present.
“Three hooded men, dressed in black, heavily armed, appeared in front of the entrance to the room and shot people who were outside, according to the press release. Several dozen rounds of ammunition were fired. »
According to a police source, the victims had just left the room to smoke. Another police source specified that the shootings took place in the entrance to the room.
The attackers arrived in a 4X4, “probably a BMW,” according to one of the sources. Investigators are still unaware of the vehicle’s origin, particularly whether it came from Germany or Luxembourg, whose borders are about fifteen kilometers away.
“Very clearly, we are moving towards a settling of scores against a backdrop of drug trafficking,” said a source. The wedding was not targeted as such, it was people who were at the wedding. »
The guests belong to the Turkish community, according to one of the police sources and a source close to the case. According to a post by the mayor of Thionville, Pierre Cuny, on Facebook, “all the participants are from the metropolitan area” of Metz, and there were “no Thionvillois”.
The mayor also specified that he would make “no further comments regarding the electoral context” and offered his “moral support to the victims and newlyweds”.
On site Sunday morning, AFP reporters were able to see forensic experts busy taking samples from a car, which was then taken away by a tow truck. At least three bullet holes are visible on a glass door giving access to the large reception room, surrounded by a large parking lot, part of which was closed with police tape.
On its website, the Eden Palace claims to be able to accommodate 600 guests and 800 guests. The establishment is located in a commercial area outside Thionville, away from residential areas.
The investigation was entrusted to the Metz judicial police.
The border region of Lorraine is plagued by drug trafficking. In May 2023, in Villerupt, in the neighboring department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, gunfire between rival gangs at a drug dealing point left five people injured.
