Il Nuovo Postiglione - Gunman kills one, wounds five in town outside Paris

The man was "firing at random, wanting to cause a bloodbath" as he drove through the southwestern working-class towns of Trappes and neighbouring La Verriere, Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh said.

Most of the victims were from foreign backgrounds and prosecutors are investigating whether the acts targeted the "real or supposed race, ethnicity, nationality or religion" of the victims.

The 12-year-old girl shot eight times was "seriously wounded" but in a stable condition, the mayor of La Verriere, Nicolas Dainville, told AFP.

The alleged shooter -- a 39-year-old man, according to a source familiar with the case -- was arrested in nearby Coignieres.

Police found him in possession of a submachine gun and tear-gas grenades, according to a police source.

Prosecutors said they had opened an investigation for "murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise".

Rabeh said the man was firing sporadically from his car and that the person killed was "of African origin".

One of the wounded, "in critical condition, is of north African origin", he added.

It was "objectively a racist, probably Islamophobic attack," the mayor said, calling for national unity as the toll rose from an earlier count of four wounded.

Dainville said that two of the wounded in his town -- cleaners attending a school Friday morning when the shooter got out of his car to open fire -- were of African origin.

Laurent Nunez, France's interior minister, travelled to the two affected towns. He called the shooting "clearly a terrorist crime".

- Bursts of gunfire -

A police source told AFP that the man had fired in bursts from his vehicle around 10:30 am (0830 GMT).

Adel, a resident of Trappes, about 20 kilometres (13 miles) west of Paris, said his "heart was broken" as he learned the victims might have been targeted for their race.

"I'm north African and it's frightening for everyone who has the same background," the 50-year-old told AFP.

Samy, another resident, told AFP he had seen a body on the ground from his window.

His mother, he said, saw a grey Renault Clio car speeding by and heard "loud bangs".

Writing on X, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the case was "very serious" and that "all resources of the security forces and the judiciary are fully mobilised".

President Emmanuel Macron said "the nation is standing with" the victims of this "terrible ordeal".

The shooting came with France on edge following last weekend's riots on the sidelines of mass protests over the cost of living, some of the worst street violence in recent years.

More protests are expected this weekend, but police will be out in force after a week of overnight curfews put in place in cities throughout the country.

G.Palmiero--INP