At least five people were killed in a shooting at a migrant camp near Dunkirk, France, on Saturday afternoon. The violence unfolded in and around the camp, with a 22-year-old man later turning himself into local authorities.
The suspect, who identified himself as the gunman, handed himself over to the Ghyvelde police station at around 5:00 PM local time. He told officers that he first shot a 29-year-old man in the French town of Wormhout at approximately 3:00 PM. He then proceeded to kill four others near the Loon-Plage refugee camp, which is located a short distance from the English Channel.
The four victims at the camp are believed to be two “security agents” and two migrants. Local reports identified the two deceased migrants as Kurdish men named Hamid and Hadi. The pair had attempted to cross the Channel earlier that day but faced difficulties when their boat encountered trouble. The boat, which was carrying 85 people, was rescued by French authorities after spending eight hours on the water, with 50 passengers initially being taken off due to the perilous situation.
Sky News spoke to a witness, 25-year-old Kurdish migrant Matin, who recounted the horrifying scene. “The gunman came, and suddenly, he pulled out a shotgun. At first, we thought he would fire into the air, but instead, he loaded the gun and aimed directly at us. We saw Azrael [the Islamic Angel of Death]. We saw death with our own eyes,” he said.
The gunman is thought to be a French national from Dunkirk and was reportedly carrying three additional firearms in his car when he turned himself in. It remains unclear what motivated the shooting, and French authorities have yet to release further details about the incident.
The area where the attack occurred has been home to migrant camps for several years, with many refugees, primarily Kurdish and Afghan, seeking to cross the Channel to the UK. According to the refugee charity Care4Calais, the camps also include many families with small children.
The shocking attack highlights the continuing challenges faced by refugees in the region and raises further concerns about their safety. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
