emotion is strong in Romans-sur-Isère

The funeral of Nicolas, the 22-year-old Romanian killed in a shooting in Saint-Péray on Halloween evening, takes place this Tuesday, November 12. He was a member of the RC Romans-Péage rugby club and is once again in mourning, a few months after the death of young Thomas Perotto, stabbed to death in Crépol.

The funeral of Nicolas Dumas took place this morning at 10 a.m. at the Saint-Barnard collegiate church in Romans-sur-Isère. In the Drôme commune, emotion was at its height when the young man's white coffin was taken out of the church in front of a completely silent audience. The funeral convoy left the scene shortly after 11:30 a.m. to go to the new cemetery in Romans-sur-Isère where Nicolas was buried early in the afternoon.

Farewell to Nicolas

Environ 200 people were present at the ceremony which took place in the Saint-Barnard collegiate church, located on the banks of the Isère. They were gathered around a white coffin topped with a photo of Nicolas in a rugby jersey and candles. On the coffin, a rugby ball was placed, as well as flowers in the club colors, sky blue and white. The comrades and teammates of the young player who tragically died also placed messages on his coffin. In his prayer, the priest said he understood “anger, indignation and revolt” who are close to the victim. He asked that their prayers also be directed towards a demand for justice.

Nicolas Dumas was shot in the head during the shooting outside the Le Seven nightclub in Saint-Péray, Ardèche, on Halloween night. That evening, two other people in the queue were also injured. The young Romanese did not survive. He died on November 2.

A few days later, on November 6, a white march was organized by his family and his rugby club. The procession brought together nearly 2,500 people. It was made up of many young people who marched in silence through the streets of Romans-sur-Isère, from Place Paulin Pailherey to the stadium which hosts the RCPR matches. The family let their family know on Facebook that the funeral would take place on November 12.

Shortly before 3 a.m., a hooded individual dressed in black fired several shots in the direction of the queue for the night establishment, which welcomed nearly 800 people for this Halloween evening.

This tragedy occurs almost a year to the day after the death of another young member of the Romans-sur-Isère rugby club. On November 19, 2023, it was Thomas Perotto, aged 16, who died after being stabbed after leaving a ball in the village of Crépol. The small town is located about thirty kilometers from Saint-Péray. A white march in tribute to the teenager brought together more than 6,000 people in Romans-sur-Isère.

Fourteen people have since been indicted, but the investigation has not yet completely clarified the circumstances of the tragedy which cost Thomas' life.

Concerning the death of Nicolas Dumas, two men in their twenties were arrested on November 4: the individual suspected of being the shooter was arrested in the northern districts of Marseille, and his alleged driver in Cavaillon, in Vaucluse. LThe two suspects in the shooting were indicted by an investigating judge in Marseille for murder and attempted murder by an organized gang. The two men were placed in pre-trial detention.