In a tragic incident near the southeast French city of Avignon, a bride was shot and killed on her wedding night when masked gunmen opened fire in the village of Goult. Local officials report that one suspected attacker was also killed in the exchange of gunfire, while the groom and a 13-year-old child were seriously injured.
A manhunt involving numerous police officers and a helicopter is currently underway to apprehend the unknown number of suspects who managed to escape. French media suggests that the violence may be connected to a drug-related dispute.
Authorities have initiated an investigation into murder and attempted murder.
Early on Sunday morning, around 04:30 (02:30 GMT), as the bride, 27, and groom, 25, were leaving their wedding party at the village hall, unidentified assailants opened fire, according to AFP news agency.
Contrary to initial reports which suggested an attacker was run over by the couple’s car, Avignon prosecutor Florence Galtier clarified that the suspect was hit “in the exchange.” The surviving attackers, who arrived by car, fled on foot after the shooting, the prosecutor added.
Twenty-eight people were present in the hall at the time of the attack, with one woman lightly injured. The hall had been booked in March for a wedding by individuals not residing in the commune, stated Didier Perello, the local mayor.
Expressing outrage, Perello remarked that the incident occurred near towns where such violence has been witnessed before.
Guillaume Molinas, a 50-year-old restaurant owner, expressed concern that the fatal attack would tarnish the village’s reputation, despite the village’s relatively peaceful history, with the last major incident occurring 125 years ago.
