Guide Note
A French soldier shot sixteen people during a demonstration military drill in Carcassone, France, on June 30, 2008, after he reportedly used real instead of dummy bullets.
Fast Facts
- Date: June 30, 2008
- Location: Carcassone, France
- Drill conducted by Third Marine Parachute Barracks
- Military saying incident most likely an accident
- Fifteen civilians wounded, one soldier1
- Four in serious condition
- Three-year old boy in serious condition
- Soldier fired live rounds instead of blanks
- Incident took place during terrorism training drill
The Shooting
The shooting, which French military officials described as most likely an accident, occurred during a terrorism training drill observed by members of the public. In the drill, one soldier, pretending to be a terrorist, stood amidst hundreds of spectators. According to press reports, the soldier who fired the shots first emptied a magazine of blanks, and then reloaded his gun with a magazine of live rounds. Blanks and live rounds are contained in differently-colored magazines, and officials claim an experienced soldier would have no problem differentiating between the two.2
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