One person was killed and four others injured in a shooting during a wedding in Thionville, in Moselle, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, we learned from a police source. Two of the injured are between life and death, according to this source. The perpetrators of the shooting, several armed and hooded men, fled.
One person was killed and five injured, three of them seriously, in a shooting during a wedding in Thionville, in Moselle, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, the investigation focusing on organized crime. Three of the injured are “in absolute emergency”, announced in a press release the Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction (Jirs) of Nancy, for the benefit of which the Thionville public prosecutor’s office has resigned.
Previously, police sources had reported two victims with life-threatening conditions, one of whom was in a “desperate” state. The three perpetrators of the shooting fled. “Four people were hit by bullets. Two other people also suffered minor injuries, particularly from shards of glass,” according to the press release. The investigation “is continuing under the classification of murder by an organized gang and attempted murder by an organized gang,” Jirs said. “At this stage, the motives for the shooting remain unknown.”
The events occurred at the Eden Palace, a reception hall specializing in weddings, where around a hundred people were present. “Three hooded men, dressed in black, heavily armed, appeared in front of the entrance to the room and shot people who were outside,” according to the press release. “Several dozen rounds of ammunition were fired.”
Possible settling of scores over drug trafficking
According to a police source, the victims had just left the room to smoke. Another police source specified that the shootings took place in the entrance to the room. The attackers arrived in a 4X4, “probably BMW”, according to one of the sources. Investigators still do not know the origin of the vehicle, particularly whether it came from Germany or Luxembourg, whose borders are around fifteen kilometers away. “Very clearly, we are moving towards a settling of scores against a backdrop of drug trafficking,” said a source. “The wedding was not targeted as such, it was people who were at the wedding.”
The guests belong to the Turkish community, according to one of the police sources and a source close to the case. According to a post by the mayor of Thionville, Pierre Cuny, on Facebook, “all the participants are from the metropolitan area” of Metz, and there were “no Thionvillois”.
The councilor also specified that he would make “no further comments in view of the electoral context” and provided his “moral support to the victims and newlyweds”. On site Sunday morning, AFP reporters were able to see forensic experts busy taking samples from a car, which was then taken away by a tow truck. At least three bullet holes are visible on a glass door giving access to the large reception room, surrounded by a large parking lot, part of which was closed with police tape.
On its website, the Eden Palace claims to be able to accommodate 600 seats and 800 guests. The establishment is located in a commercial area outside Thionville, away from residential areas. The investigation was entrusted to the Metz judicial police. The border area of Lorraine is the target of drug trafficking. In May 2023, in Villerupt, in the neighboring department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, shooting between rival gangs at a deal point left five people injured.
