The presumed shooters at the Assises – Liberation
He sold pastries to go skiing when shooters arose. Three young men are tried from Monday for the death in 2021 of Lionel, 16, killed at the foot of his building against a background of rivalry between Bordeaux districts.
During this winter 2020-2021, this teenager « Appreciated » And « sporty » According to his neighbors, had become the habit of installing in the evening, with a friend, a stand of sale of sodas and treats in the Aubiers district, in the north of the city, to finance a stay in the mountains.
On Saturday January 2 shortly after 10 p.m., the two apprentice traders exchange with young customers when a black clio tumbles. Behind the lowered windows, hooded men open fire to the automatic rifle.
« Do you want war? » You will have it ”, launches one of them, according to witnesses. A hooded man then leaves the vehicle to pursue teenagers on the run, under the cries of « Smoke the little ones »Victims and residents told investigators.
Part of the scene, looking for an attack « terrorist » According to residents of this popular city of around 3,500 inhabitants, has been filmed from a building. Three minors, aged 13 to 16, seriously take refuge injured in the surrounding buildings. Lionel remains inanimate on the ground, touched by two bullets including one in the thorax. His death is confirmed upon his arrival in the emergency room.
Another man, 21, is injured. According to the investigation, this judoka of « High level » had already been targeted – fire from his building in November, then fire gunshots in December – in retaliation for a fight between young people from the Aubiers and the Chantecrite city.
Other altercations or isolated shots had occurred in these two neighboring districts in the previous months. The day before the attack, the brother of one of the alleged shooters had been injured.
After the drama, the ecological mayor of Bordeaux, Pierre Hurmic, had alerted to « The escalation of crime » endowed « Heavy weapons » in a city « Long away from great delinquency phenomena ».
For the lawyer for the Lionel family, Me Yann Herrera, “These are not lost bullets. When we announce « smoke the little ones ”everything is said. (…) The only thing that applies to Lionel to be a victim is to have kept this pastry stand, to go skiing with your boyfriend ”.
According to several protagonists placed under police listening, the tension between young people in the two districts, formerly renowned « friends » And where children frequent the same college, do not come from rivalries linked to drug trafficking but from an animosity born of quarrels between rap groups of the two cities.
The three main accused, the two alleged shooters and the vehicle driver, appear before the Gironde Assize Court for the murder of Lionel, attempted murder of January 2021 and December 2020, and for violence. Already convicted of theft or theft with violence, they face life imprisonment. Aged 19 to 21 years old at the time of the events, they circulated aboard a stolen car. Their phones limited to places where the vehicle was identified on days preceded and followed the attack, but DNA analyzes have given nothing.
Their participation in the shipment was denounced by informants of the police. A victim then a witness, a former classmate, also recognized the « Approach » and the « voice » one of them. Four other people are accused of association of criminals, for having provided the stolen vehicle or participated in the purchase of hoods, gloves and disposable phones just before the facts. One last is tried for violence.
According to the accused who dispute the alleged facts, these objects were intended to escape the police during night outings on motorbikes. « We will see at the hearing if the elements of the instruction are quite solid », commented before the trial Me Christian Blazy who defends three accused, including one for murder.
