On the morning of 12 October 2026, a 14-year-old student opened fire with a shotgun at Joseph‑Lakanal middle school in Aubagne, a town close to Marseille, discharging the weapon inside the school premises. One source said the gun was a 12‑gauge shotgun, another described it simply as a hunting rifle. Witnesses told Bfm Marseille Provence that at least four shots were heard echoing through the corridors.
The attack left two members of the school staff wounded. One source described the principal as a 53‑year‑old man, while another gave his age as 57 and noted he suffered a wound to the hip. The teacher involved was consistently reported as 37 years old. The teacher sustained injuries, though the exact nature of those wounds was not detailed.
Multiple accounts agree that the teenager fired a shotgun. One source specified the calibre as 12‑gauge, while another referred to the weapon more generally as a hunting rifle. Reports indicate the weapon was a 12-gauge shotgun, though some accounts described it as a hunting rifle. The number of shots heard was given by Bfm Marseille Provence as at least four.
The shooting took place against a backdrop of two weeks of nationwide protests and youth riots calling for increased funding for the education system.
News of the shooting prompted an immediate response from the French government. Education Minister Édouard Geffray and Interior Minister Laurent Nunez traveled to the school on the same day. A separate report said the two ministers were scheduled to visit the site.
The shooting took place against a backdrop of two weeks of nationwide protests and youth riots calling for increased funding for the education system. Demonstrators were demanding at least £9 billion to be invested in schools. Over the same period, authorities had recorded nearly 7 000 arrests and significant property damage linked to the demonstrations. However, officials later stated that the attack was unrelated to the student protests, a point emphasized by a police source who noted there was no vital prognosis for the victims.
In the immediate aftermath, school staff managed to subdue the suspect before police arrived, according to one report. Another account said the shooter was apprehended by authorities. The principal and the teacher were taken into care; a police source quoted in French said, “Le proviseur et la professeure ont été pris en charge” and added that there was “pas de pronostic vital engagé,” meaning their lives were not in danger. Education Minister Édouard Geffray addressed the nation, saying, “Two staff members from the National Education system, a principal and a teacher, were victims this morning of gunshot wounds at Lakanal middle school in Aubagne.” He added, “In the face of this new attack, the National Education system will, as always, remain united and strong, around an educational community sorely tried.”
Student unions maintained a neutral stance in the discussion, while both Édouard Geffray and Laurent Núez were described as delivering neutral statements. The college itself was said not to have been affected by the broader student movement. The motive for the attack remains unclear, and authorities confirmed the incident was unrelated to the student protests. As of the information supplied, the condition of the injured staff remains stable according to the earliest reports.