A violent escalation of drug-related conflict erupted in Poitiers, France, on Thursday night, when a drive-by shooting left five people injured, including a 15-year-old critically hurt with a head injury. The incident led to a mass brawl involving up to 600 people in Place Coimbra, a neighborhood known for drug trafficking.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau expressed grave concern, noting a “tipping point” in the spread of drug-related violence, which has increasingly impacted areas beyond major cities like Marseille and Paris. Police report that the violence between rival groups required substantial police and gendarmerie intervention.
The incident marks a worrying trend in drug trafficking moving into medium-sized towns and rural areas, with another recent shooting in Rennes tragically killing a five-year-old child.
