Five injured in shooting in France, causing gang brawl

PARIS -- At least five people were injured in a shooting on Thursday night in Poitiers, west-central France, leading to a gang brawl involving several hundred people, the French news channel BFMTV reported on Friday.

According to BFMTV, it was around 10:45 pm local time (2145 GMT) when individuals in a car fired gunshots at a square in Poitiers.

Police discovered five people injured by gunfire. Among them, a 15-year-old teenager was in serious condition with wounds in the head, BFMTV reported, adding that two other teenagers were shot in the shoulder and ankle.

Shortly after the shooting, clashes broke out on the square, initially involving about 50 people. Police reportedly had to use tear gas to disperse the crowd. BFMTV cited the local prefect, Jean-Marie Girier, who stated that while several hundred people were present during the clashes, not all participated.

A police source told BFMTV that the ongoing investigation points to violence between rival drug gangs.

In a press release, the mayor of Poitiers Leonore Moncond'huy expressed deep regret over the violence, calling it "unacceptable for the neighborhood and the city." She noted that the young age of the victims and the people involved was "particularly striking and worrying."