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A 15-year-old boy was shot dead in a suspected drugs-related shooting in the western city of Nantes, prompting authorities to take strict actions.
On Friday, May 15, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez shared that the teen boy was killed and another boy, 13, was seriously injured in the shooting.
The incident took place on Thursday evening, and the attackers were wearing balaclavas and used automatic weapons.
Nuñez said that the 13-year-old boy and a third boy, who was also wounded, were out of danger.
Antoine Leroy, a prosecutor who believes the attack was to settle scores linked to drug offences, noted, "The shots were fired at three young men."
Meanwhile, Nuñez suggested that the young boys could have been innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire.
The city's mayor, Johanna Rolland, has condemned drug trafficking "that is plaguing the country" and emphasised the emotional turmoil the shooting has caused.
Rolland called for all police resources to be deployed to find the attackers, with Nuñez sharing that the government would carry on the war against drugs and "continue to win battles".
"We owe that to the victims, and we owe it to the residents of these neighbourhoods who are at the end of their tether, and... can no longer bear this drug trafficking," he added.
Nunez said police would continue to dismantle drug rings, but he would officially request parliament to increase fines against drug consumers from €200 to €500 and even suspend or remove an offender's driving licence in some cases.
He continued, "At some point, consumers need to come to their senses."
"When people use narcotics for recreational purposes, the end result is that one day we end up here...with a 15-year-old who has lost his life."
Notably, France's Ministry of Justice estimates that the number of teenagers involved in the illegal trade has risen more than four-fold in the past eight years.
