Gangs armed with guns and baseball bats stormed the set of a music video by controversial French rapper Booba, firing shots in a clash which left several people injured in the latest controversy to hit the star artist, a police source said Wednesday.
The 42-year-old musician, who is one of France's biggest rap stars, has been locked in a high-profile feud with fellow rapper Kaaris which exploded into violence at a Paris airport last year, landing them both in jail for a month.
Around 15 people were involved in the attack which took place around midnight (2200 GMT) in the northeastern Paris suburb of Aulnay-sous-Bois, sources close to the inquiry said, confirming a report first published by Europe 1 radio. One of the injured people sustained a bullet wound to the thigh but her injuries were not thought to be life-threatening, the police source said, confirming an inquiry had been opened. Booba was not there at the time, but he later released a short clip to his 4.2 million followers on Instagram showing him standing in front of a TV screen reporting the attack, his eyes wide open in mock shock. The ambush took place at a disused warehouse where the video was being shot for a track called "Glaive" with the attackers reportedly pulling up to the site in cars and firing four shots towards Booba's crew as they put away equipment.
They then began attacking them with baseball bats and iron bars, with the video's producer sustaining serious head injuries and another technician also badly hurt, BFMTV said. Police found four 9mm shell casings and two cartridges at the scene, the channel reported.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack but it led to speculation it was linked to the ongoing feud between the two rappers which has made headlines in France and beyond. Their August 2018 brawl at Orly airport erupted as the men and their entourages were about to fly to Barcelona for a concert, prompting officials to temporarily shut down part of the terminal, delaying flights.