A 14-year-old pupil has been arrested after allegedly opening fire on his headmaster and a teacher at the Joseph-Lakanal middle school in Aubagne, near Marseille in southern France.
The school’s 53-year-old headmaster was reportedly shot four or five times in the lower body, while a 37-year-old teacher sustained a gunshot wound to the thigh.
A third person was grazed during the incident.
The headmaster and teacher were taken for medical treatment, but neither was in a life-threatening condition, according to the prime minister’s office.
Mayor Jean-Pierre Squillari confirmed to reporters that no students had been injured.
The shooting occurred at a school attended by approximately 700 pupils.
The suspect, who also attended the school, was taken into custody, while prosecutors opened an investigation into attempted murder.
Suspect Allegedly Arrived With Gun Hidden in Guitar Case
The teenager reportedly arrived at the school at around 10.30am with a firearm concealed inside a guitar case.
According to witnesses, he told staff members that he wanted to see the headmaster to pay tribute to him.
He subsequently took out the weapon and fired several shots at his victims.
Reports differed over the type of firearm used, with some describing it as a 12-gauge shotgun and others identifying it as a hunting rifle.
School staff managed to subdue the teenager before law enforcement officers intervened.
Firefighters were also dispatched to the scene.
Martine Vassal, president of the Bouches-du-Rhône departmental council, said the school did not have security gates or checks at its entrance because such measures had not been considered necessary.
Classmates Suggest Breakup May Have Preceded Attack
The suspect’s motive remained unclear in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
However, several classmates reportedly said he had been experiencing emotional difficulties following a romantic breakup.
One pupil told reporters that the teenager had been depressed after splitting up with his girlfriend, while other students also described him as going through a difficult period.
Authorities had not established whether the alleged breakup was connected to the shooting.
The teenager was reportedly not previously known to police and had not been involved in disciplinary trouble at the school.
Vassal also said the suspect’s father had requested a meeting with the school’s educational adviser.
The Bouches-du-Rhône police department said the motive remained unknown as investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Parents Gather Outside School as Authorities Arrive
Parents gathered outside the school after news of the shooting spread, while local officials and education authorities arrived at the scene.
The prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, Aubagne mayor Jean-Pierre Squillari and representatives of the regional education authority were among those present.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, National Education Minister Édouard Geffray and Sabrina Roubache, the minister delegate responsible for vocational education, training and apprenticeships, were expected to visit the school on Monday afternoon.
Classes were suspended following the incident, and pupils and teachers who witnessed the shooting were receiving counselling.
Geffray condemned the attack in a statement posted on X, describing it as an unacceptable act and calling for collective action against what he characterised as growing violence in society.
Shooting Occurs Amid Student Protests Across France
The incident took place as France continued to experience student demonstrations over conditions in the country’s schools.
The protests, which began in mid-September, have involved blockades and gatherings outside secondary schools, with some demonstrations resulting in clashes between protesters and police.
However, a source close to the investigation told BFMTV that the Aubagne shooting had no connection to the student protests.
The Joseph-Lakanal school had also reportedly not been affected by the blockades.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned incidents of violence associated with the demonstrations on Monday.
The government had reported a decline in school blockades by the previous Friday, with the education ministry saying more than 96 per cent of secondary schools were open that day.
Nevertheless, organisers were preparing another round of demonstrations for Tuesday, while online activists had also called for a protest against the cost of living the following Saturday.
The student movement has drawn comparisons with the Yellow Vest protests that began in 2018 over a planned increase in fuel taxes and subsequently developed into large demonstrations and confrontations with police.
A government source said the damage associated with the school protests had cost at least €30 million.
The justice ministry also reported on Friday that more than 6,800 people had been detained since the demonstrations began, with minors accounting for 86 per cent of those arrested.
Following clashes in which some students sustained serious injuries, the government suspended the use of stun grenades after one student lost a hand.
Police were also investigating 18 alleged cases of misconduct involving officers.
According to interior ministry figures, approximately 71,500 people participated in demonstrations the previous Thursday, while nearly 256,000 took part in a day of action the preceding Tuesday.
A poll conducted by Ipsos-BVA and published on Sunday found that 54 per cent of respondents supported the secondary school students’ protests.
Concerns about overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating school buildings were among the issues attracting the greatest sympathy.
Previous School Attacks Have Included Shootings and Stabbings
Gun attacks carried out by pupils at French schools remain uncommon, although the country has experienced several serious incidents involving young suspects.
In 2017, a 16-year-old student armed with a rifle, pistols and a small grenade opened fire at a high school in southern France, injuring three students and the principal.
Violent knife attacks have also occurred at French educational institutions.
Last year, a school employee in eastern France was stabbed to death by a 14-year-old pupil during a bag inspection.
Another fatal attack took place on April 24, 2025, at the private Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides high school in the Doulon area of Nantes, western France.
A 15-year-old student, identified by local media as Justin P., allegedly entered a classroom on the school’s second floor around midday and stabbed one pupil.
He then went downstairs and attacked at least three others.
A teenage girl died, while three other students were injured.
An information technology manager reportedly tackled the attacker before police arrived.
As armed officers approached, the teenager shouted, ‘Shoot me in the head.’
Officers subsequently restrained and handcuffed him.
A source said he had sustained a minor cut to his head and another to one hand.
The suspect was reportedly dressed in black and wearing a bicycle helmet and balaclava.
Two blades, including a hunting knife, were found beside him, according to an investigating source.
Twelve-gauge shotguns are relatively accessible in France, where such firearms are licensed and commonly used, particularly in rural areas.
Aubagne, the location of the latest shooting, has a population of just under 50,000 and lies approximately 10 miles east of Marseille.
The town is also known for its French Foreign Legion base.
