Tourists shot dead at French gas station

gas station

29 July 2019; DW: At least three people were killed when young shooters opened fired at a gas station in southern France. The mayor of Ollioules urged parents to watch their children, saying "delinquency" was at the root of the problem.

A shooting at a gas station in the southern French town of Ollioules on Sunday night killed three people and wounded one other.

Two men and one woman were among those killed, regional newspaper Var-Martin reported.

The incident took place shortly before 8:00 p.m. (1800 UTC), when at least two youth opened fire at the station, located on the outskirts of the Mediterranean city of Toulon. It is unclear whether others were involved in the shooting.

The nationalities of the victims were not immediately known. But French authorities said they did not appear to be the targets, and were instead killed by stray bullets.

'All means necessary'

The mayor of Ollioules, Robert Beneventi, said the suspects were previously known to authorities and are believed to be involved in local criminal activity.

"This drama has touched me," Beneventi told the Var-Martin. He urged parents to be vigilant of their children, warning that "there is no such thing as petty crime." 

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner wrote on Twitter that "all means are being used to identify and arrest the perpetrators."