The death toll in the Trebes incident currently stands at four people, including the perpetrator, reportedly a man of Morocco origin who took hostages in the town's supermarket on March 23.
French Interior Minister Gerard Gerard Collomb named the gunman, who was killed by police, as 26-year-old Redouane Lakdim, describing him as a small-time drug dealer.
"He was known by the police for petty crimes, we had monitored him and did not think he had been radicalized. He was already under surveillance when he suddenly decided to act," Collomb said.
READ MORE: What We Know So Far About French Hostage Taker, Self-Proclaimed Daesh 'Soldier'
The attack is treated as a terror incident, as prosecutors claimed Lakdim had pledged allegiance to Daesh*.
French president Emmanuel Macron has addressed the attack on his Twitter channel. He was joined by the UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
J'assure les habitants de Trèbes de l'entière solidarité et mobilisation des services de l'État et de ses forces de l'ordre.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 23, 2018
PM: My thoughts are with the victims of the cowardly attacks in Trèbes and Carcassonne. We stand in solidarity with our friends and allies in France, just as they always stand with us.
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) March 23, 2018
Extrêmement préoccupé par la prise d'otages en cours à #Trebes. Nous suivons la situation de très près et sommes tous solidaires de la France et de son peuple.
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) March 23, 2018
Horrifying news from #Trèbes. Israel firmly stands with #France in the fight against terror.
— Israel Foreign Min. (@IsraelMFA) March 23, 2018
We send our prayers for the safe return of all hostages. Our thoughts are with the families of all victims of the attack. pic.twitter.com/UM2A1HshfW
Some users on Twitter started a heated debate on the gunman's supposed radicalized views, as well as France's policy terrorism.
Discussion on @BBCWorld about what might have radicalised #Trebes gunman. No one asking what radicalised #France #US and #UK to participate in destruction of #Iraq #Libya #Syria No self awareness. They were arming jihadis, FFS. #Carcassonne
— Paul Mangan (@friscondo) March 23, 2018
French supermarket attacker has been killed. Named by Interior Minister Gérard Collomb as 26-year-old Redouane Lakdim. History of petty crime; had been investigated but authorities did not believe he had been radicalised, Collomb says
— Katy Lee (@kjalee) March 23, 2018
2 people dead. that does not even meet the US definition of a mass shooting (4+ victims).
— Vincent Beaudry 🇨🇦🇪🇺 (@VincBeaudry) March 23, 2018
Please, stop with your idiocies. You don't seems to know many thing about France to say that. It isn't the moment
— EmmaCorraini (@CorrainiEmma84) March 23, 2018
Today's attacker was known to the authorities and was Moroccan. Seems like France is as bad as the UK.
— Colin Lawton 🇬🇧 (@Colin_Lawton1) March 23, 2018
We do not want any candle lit vigils after this attack. We do not want to hear about it being tragedy either. All sane people knew it was going to happen. We want Grenfell level anger directed towards the people who have allowed this to happen.
— Wakeupworld (@wakeupworld15) March 23, 2018
Conversations sprung out on Facebook as well, touching on France's gun and immigration laws.
Some users on Instagram simply paid respects to the victims of the attack in Trebes.
*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia
