A bride was shot dead by masked gunmen as she left her wedding party in a small French village over the weekend.
In the early hours of Sunday (June 22), a 27-year-old woman was gunned down by masked gunmen as her wedding night came to a close in a village near Avignon, France.
The bride has tragically died in the ordeal while the groom, 25, was also injured in the incident. Officials say a 13-year-old has been left seriously injured as well.
The couple wed on Saturday in a village hall where 28 people were reportedly in attendance. They then got into a car to leave the venue in Goult before the violence broke out.
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"A vehicle pulled in behind them, blocking their way, with a number of hooded individuals on board," said local prosecutor Florence Galtier.
"These people then got out of the vehicle and started shooting in the direction of the victims, with what appear to be have been various different kinds of weapons."
As well as the bride, one of the masked gunmen died in the apparent shootout, while a manhunt is underway for the other unknown suspects.
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BBC News reports that dozens of police officers and a helicopter are currently looking for those who managed to flee the scene.
There has been some suggestions that the violence may stem from drug-related score-settling.
Speaking about the unfortunate events that unfolded, Goult Mayor Didier Perello said, as per CP24: "I’m angry. I’m outraged."
Addressing the possibility about the attack being linked to score-settling, Perello went on: "I’m ruling nothing out. Absolutely nothing. We’re close to towns, I won’t name them, where unfortunately, we’ve already seen this kind of thing before."
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According to the mayor, the young couple had booked the village hall for their wedding back in March.
It's said that autopsies of the deceased are set to take place this week and that police have launched an investigation on charges of murder committed by an organized criminal group and attempted murder as part of an organized criminal group, says CNN.
At the time of writing, there has been two people taken into custody as a result of the ongoing manhunt. CBS News reports that no information about the alleged criminals have been released.
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The identities of the attacked bride and groom have not been released either, but Perello said that they hailed from the nearby towns of Apt and Cavaillon respectively.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].
Topics: France, Crime, World News, Weddings
Niamh Shackleton