During a training of a parachute regiment of marine infantry (Illustration). – OVERVIEW / SIPA
The accident took place this Wednesday afternoon, during training. A young 20-year-old soldier from the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment of Carcassonne died, hit by the accidental shooting of another soldier.
“A soldier of the 3rd RPIMA doing a bad manipulation opened fire on another soldier of this regiment”, indicated Colonel Eric de Lapresle, communications advisor to the Chief of Staff of the Army, evoking “a tragic accident ”.
Wounded in the back by a bullet from a 9 mm caliber pistol, the young soldier did not survive his injuries despite attempts to resuscitate his colleagues. On his arrival on the spot, the emergency doctor dispatched on the spot could only note his death.
Police investigation
“An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of this accident, the gendarmes are on site,” said a source close to the investigation.
The members of the 3rd RPIMA were near the village of Mas-des-Cours, on the Villemaury shooting range, not far from Carcassonne, when the tragedy took place. This regiment recently returned from a mission in Mali, as part of Operation Barkhane in the Sahel.