Three Killed in Night of Marseille Drug Gang Violence: Police

At least three people were shot dead and another eight were wounded during an overnight flare up in drug gang violence in the crime-plagued French port of Marseille, police said Monday.

Three separate shooting incidents have increased fears that tit-for-tat violence between rival gangs is spiralling after a series of fatal shootings over the last month.

Regional police chief Frederique Camilleri told AFP on Monday that a turf war was underway rooted in the notorious Paternelle housing estate in northern Marseille.

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Two young men in their early 20s suffered fatal gunshot wounds overnight, two of them in the Castellas neighbourhood in northern Marseille where around 50 bullet casings were found by police, the local prosecutor’s office said.

A 16-year-old boy died just north of the historic centre of the city in the gritty La Joliette district, while another with him is fighting for his life in intensive care, local police said. A 14-year-old was also wounded at the scene.

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Last year, 32 people were shot dead in gang violence in Marseille, the highest level since 2016, according to the local prosecutor’s office.

In just three months, 13 have died so far this year, including the latest victims, according to a toll from AFP.

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