Two Dead And Several Injured In Shooting In France's Nice

PARIS, May 12 (Bernama-dpa) -- Two people were killed, and six others were injured, some seriously, in a shooting in the southern French coastal city of Nice, local authorities said on Monday, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

The rider of an electric scooter stopped in front of a grocery store and opened fire with a pistol near a known drug hotspot in the city, the public prosecutor said.

Seventeen shell casings were recovered at the scene.

The gunman then rode off on the scooter before fleeing in a car parked nearby.

According to authorities, the shooting is directly linked to drug trafficking.

The Les Moulins district is frequently the scene of violent crime and is considered a troubled area.

The mayor of Nice, Éric Ciotti, said on the social media platform X that three of the six injured were in serious condition, adding that three people were also "in shock."

Ciotti called on the French government to provide the resources needed to address the situation in the Les Moulins district, criticising the staffing shortages the city has suffered from for years.

He spoke of a "war" against drug trafficking.

Authorities said an investigation has been launched, including into suspected premeditated murder by an organised gang.

Prosecutors stated that three of the injured had prior convictions related to drug trafficking.

Neither of the deceased had a criminal record.

-- BERNAMA-dpa