New drama in the Tonkin district of Villeurbanne. A man was found dead, shot in the face. Investigators are favoring the possibility of a settling of scores against a backdrop of drug trafficking. Is the neighborhood falling into a spiral of uncontrollable violence?
A new tragedy has just struck the sensitive Tonkin district in Villeurbanne, in the suburbs of Lyon. Last night, an unidentified man was discovered dead, shot in the face, lying on Boulevard du 11-Novembre-1918, near the University of La Doua.
According to sources close to the investigation, the victim was shot in the head. A modus operandi which immediately brings to mind the settling of scores which plague this district sadly renowned for its drug trafficking. Investigators from the Lyon judicial police, seized of the case, seem to favor this avenue.
Tonkin, a neighborhood riddled with crime
This homicide by firearm is added to the long black list of violent news items which regularly punctuate the news in Tonkin. For several years, this district of Villeurbanne has been the scene of a veritable gang war for control of deal points.
Despite the efforts of law enforcement, drug trafficking continues to thrive, fueling an underground economy and a seemingly endless spiral of violence. Shootings and score-settling have become commonplace, creating a permanent climate of insecurity for residents.
A failure for public authorities?
Faced with this explosive situation, many point the finger at the inability of public authorities to stem this wave of crime. Despite proactive speeches and sting operations, trafficking continues and violence intensifies, year after year.
The police forces are overwhelmed, they cruelly lack the means to deal with these hyper-organized and ultra-violent criminal networks.
A police officer on condition of anonymity
Some are calling for more drastic measures, such as increasing police numbers or deploying the army in these neighborhoods which have become real lawless zones. Others call for a more global response, combining repression and prevention, to attack the roots of the evil.
Residents caught in a vice
In the midst of these turf wars, it is the residents who are toasting. Caught between drug dealers and the police, many live in permanent fear, no longer daring to leave their homes once night falls. Children are the first victims of this violence, growing up in a harmful climate made up of incivility and trafficking of all kinds.
We are afraid for our children. As soon as they come out, we fear the worst. This neighborhood has become unlivable, it must stop!
A mother from Tonkin
Many have already thrown in the towel, fleeing this neighborhood that they no longer recognize. Those who remain, often the most fragile, feel abandoned by the Republic. Their daily life: open-air deals, urban rodeos, Kalashnikov shots at night… A hell from which they no longer see the way out.
The investigation continues
In the meantime, the investigation into this new murder continues. The Lyon PJ police officers are increasing their investigations and hearings to try to identify the victim and find his killer(s). The task promises to be difficult in this neighborhood where secrecy reigns supreme.
This tragedy will not fail to relaunch the debate on the explosive situation in certain French suburbs and on the effectiveness of the security policies put in place by successive governments. In the meantime, the people of Tonkin continue to live in fear, praying every day that the next stray bullet will not be for them or their loved ones.
One thing is certain: as long as the State's response is limited to one-off operations with no future, as long as trafficking and violence are not attacked at the root, this infernal cycle of crime will continue to destroy lives and corrupt our neighborhoods. There is an urgent need to act, before the situation spirals completely out of control.
