The suspect in the attack in Trappes, France, attempted suicide while in custody, Le Figaro reported on November 3. The 39-year-old, identified as Kévin T., reportedly tried to hang himself in his cell. He was taken to hospital for several hours before being returned to prison the same day. A source close to the case said his life was not in danger.
His lawyers, Baptiste Bellet and Elliot Amzallag, expressed regret that information they described as belonging to their client’s private life had been disclosed. They said they wanted his detention to take place under the best possible conditions so the investigation could proceed calmly, and added that the attempt raised questions about his psychological state that required a thorough medical assessment.
The attack took place on October 23 in Trappes and La Verrière, in the Yvelines department. According to the report, Kévin T. was driving when he killed a 26-year-old French man of African origin and injured seven other people, four of them seriously. The National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office also counted 22 people who were not physically hit but whose vehicles were struck by bullets or who were targeted without being injured.
Kévin T. was charged and remanded in custody on October 29. Prosecutors said he had acknowledged targeting people who were Muslim, African or North African. He faces charges of murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise, with an alleged discriminatory motive based on race, ethnicity, nationality or religion.
The suspect has four previous convictions, the most recent from 2012. He has reported psychological problems and heavy drug use from the age of 13. Prosecutors said tests detected cannabis and cocaine in his blood at the time of the attack, as well as substances consistent with antipsychotic and antidepressant medication. A prosecutor said a doctor considered Kévin T.’s claim that he had schizophrenia to be his own interpretation rather than a medical conclusion.
Sources: Le Figaro.