UPDATE November 2:
Nicolas Dumas, the 22-year-old Rugby player seriously injured during the shooting outside a nightclub in Ardèche, succumbed to his injuries. Licensed at RC Romanais Péageois, the same club where Thomas Perotto played, tragically killed during an attack in Crépol in November 2023. His photo obtained by Frontières in rugby outfit, is a poignant reminder of his passion for this sport.
On the night of October 31 to November 1, a shooting broke out in the parking lot of the “Le Seven” nightclub in Saint-Péray, in Ardèchewhere nearly 800 people celebrated Halloween. Three injuries are to be deplored, including Nicolas, a young 22-year-old rugby player.hit in the head, who is currently between life and death.
“We wondered if it was an attack”
Around 2:30 a.m., a hooded man dressed in black appeared in the parking lot of the nightclub and opened fire, initially targeting a security guard placed at the entrance to the establishmentand injuring his knee. The violence of the attack caused panic among revelers present in the parking lot and inside the nightclub.
The assailant then fired repeatedly towards customers waiting in a line to entertouching a young woman of 24 years old on the left leg and another 22 year oldalso injured by shrapnel in one leg. According to witnesses, the shooter fled immediately after the shooting. The police and emergency services, arriving shortly after 2:45 a.m., confined the nightclub's customers to secure the premises and carry out the first investigations.
Raphaël, 19, also waiting to enter the nightclub, told our colleagues from Dauphiné Libéré: “I was at the end of the queue, ready to enter the club, when we heard explosions […] A meter in front of me, someone fell. He started shaking on the ground. A spurt of blood came out of his head and he stopped moving. His friends looked at him and shouted “He’s dead, he’s dead”. Right after that everyone got down on the ground and started crawling inside the box. […] We wondered if it was an attack. »
Young rugby player Nicolas in vital emergency
The three victims were transported to the Valencia hospital center. Originally from Romans-sur-IsèreNicolas, the 22-year-old young man, suffered a shot in the head, was treated in absolute emergency with a life-threatening prognosis. The latter, who came to celebrate Halloween with his friends from the Rugby Club Romanais Péageois team, remains in critical condition..
In a tweet posted this morning, Marie-Hélène Thoraval, the mayor of Romans-sur-Isère said to himself “revolted”asking as follows: “How many Thomases, how many Nicolases before we finally take the necessary measures? ». The elected official also sent a message of support to the family and loved ones of young Nicolas.
An open investigation and a suspect still at large
According to initial police analyses, this shooting could be linked to drug trafficking. Furthermore, a 9 mm caliber bullet hole was found on a vehicle parked in the parking lot. The video protection covering the nightclub will be used by the Valencia judicial police in order to identify the shooter and understand the exact circumstances of the attack. The investigation was entrusted to the Organized and Specialized Crime Division of Drôme-Ardèche.
Also read: Tribute to the victims of immigration: Antifas call to “hunt down” people who will demonstrate in Romans-sur-Isère
