Five dead after shootings in northern France
Five people have been killed in shootings in northern France, including near a migrant camp, and a 22-year-old man has turned himself in to police, French media reports.
Four victims – two security guards and two migrants – were shot dead along the Loon-Plage coastline near Dunkirk, according to unnamed security sources.
The gunman is also said to have confessed to a previous shooting in the nearby town of Wormhout, according to AFP news agency.
Local media reported that weapons were found in the suspect’s car, and Dunkirk’s Mayor Patrice Vergriete stated that the motive behind the attacks is “unknown.”
BBC News has reached out to local authorities for further comment.
Vergriete called the incident a “tragedy” and described how “an individual coldly murdered several people” in the area.
Xavier Bertrand, head of the regional assembly, confirmed on X that five people had died in the “tragic event.”
French media reported a large emergency services presence close to a migrant camp, though it is unclear if the shootings took place inside a settlement.
Loon-Plage is home to several temporary settlements housing migrants. It is near to Calais and the Strait of Dover, which is the narrowest part of the Channel.
Similar camps along France’s northern coast have been used by people attempting to reach the UK via small boats.
