Family of man killed in racist attack in France seeks justice

The family of a 26-year-old man killed in a racist attack near Paris is seeking justice. Investigations are ongoing in France after a man killed one person and wounded seven people, including a child, in a racist shooting on October 23. 

Prosecutors said Thursday that the 39-year-old suspect, identified as Kevin T., admitted to "targeting individuals who appeared to be Muslim, African, or North African". 

On October 23, Kevin T. opened fire with a submachine gun from a moving vehicle as he drove through the towns of Trappes and La Verriere, west of Paris. He was arrested later that day. Most of the victims were of foreign origin.

The family of Pengo Bossio Wangi, the young Black man killed in the attack, said on Monday that they hoped for an "awakening" against racism in the country. 

Bolema Bossio Wangi, the father of Pengo, said he wanted the upcoming national tribute to the victims to be "an opportunity for genuine awareness and a real commitment against racism".

“As the father of Black children, I am afraid for their future, their safety and for the place they will be able to occupy in French society," he lamented, speaking through his daughter, at a press conference in Paris.

The attack came in an increasingly tense political climate, with presidential elections just six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls. The role of the media in platforming far-right views has also come under scrutiny. 

"The people we’re talking about here are French, and in the end, they’re being dehumanised. They’re turned into targets, into people who are seen as suspect, as illegitimate," said Zineb Alami, the lawyer of Bolema Bossio Wangi.

"People are pretty much being asked to justify why they’re even in their own country".

On Thursday, the suspect was charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise, said the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office (PNAT).

Later Thursday, his lawyers said their client, had been taken into pre-trial detention.

A national tribute to the victims is expected in the coming days.