A 27-year-old bride was shot dead and her groom and a 13-year-old child seriously injured when masked gunmen opened fire on a wedding party in the quiet village of Goult, near Avignon, in southeastern France.
The shooting occurred early Sunday morning around 4:30 a.m. local time, just as the couple was leaving a wedding celebration held at the local village hall. According to officials, the attackers arrived by car before launching a targeted and deadly assault. One of the suspected gunmen was killed in what prosecutors described as an “exchange of fire.”
The remaining assailants fled on foot and are still at large.
Authorities have opened a formal investigation into murder and attempted murder, and a large-scale manhunt involving dozens of police officers and a helicopter is ongoing.
Police said 28 people were inside the hall at the time of the attack. One woman sustained minor injuries. The venue had been reserved in March by individuals not originally from the commune, officials noted.
Initial reports suggested one suspect may have been run over by the couple’s vehicle while trying to flee, but Avignon prosecutor Florence Galtier later clarified that the man was likely hit “in the exchange” of gunfire.
The motive behind the assault remains unconfirmed, though French media are reporting a possible link to drug-related score-settling a theory authorities are actively investigating. The rural region, while typically tranquil, is not far from urban areas that have seen an uptick in organized crime and trafficking-related violence.
The attack has deeply shaken the small village of Goult, home to just over 1,000 residents. Local mayor Didier Perello expressed outrage, noting that the hall had been booked by outsiders.
“I’m outraged. We’re close to towns, I won’t name them where unfortunately we’ve seen this kind of thing before,” Perello said.
Guillaume Molinas, a local restaurant owner, told said the shooting would tarnish the village’s reputation. “The last major incident in the village was 125 years ago,” he said, lamenting the sudden burst of violence.
Officials have yet to release the names of the victims or the suspect killed during the attack.
The wounded groom and teenager remain hospitalised in critical condition.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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