France: Gunman kills two people in Marseille gang violence May 26

Event

A masked gunman shot and killed two people in a sports club in the Estaque district of Marseille around 01:00 (local time) on Saturday, May 26, in an apparent drug gang-related dispute. Additional incidents of gang-related violence are possible in Marseille in the coming weeks.

Context

Disputes between rival drug-trafficking gangs have fueled an uptick in violent crime in Marseille in recent months. At least 11 people have been killed in gang-related shootings in Marseille so far in 2018. In comparison, some 14 people were killed by such gang-related violence in all of Bouches-du-Rhône department - home to Marseille - in 2017.

Notably, on May 21, masked gunmen - suspected to be gang members - wounded one person and took another hostage in Marseille's Busserine district before briefly exchanging gunfire with police and fleeing the scene.

Advice

Individuals in Marseille are advised to remain vigilant for criminal and gang-related activity, report all suspicious objects and behavior, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.