Vendée: Man Shot Dead at Traveller Site, Two Suspects Arrested

A man in his 40s was shot dead near a Traveller accommodation site in Mortagne-sur-Sèvre, Vendée, prompting a major police operation involving a helicopter, the GIGN, a dog unit and several gendarmerie patrols.

The shooting took place on Friday, Aug. 28, on the site along the Route de Poitiers. The circumstances remained unclear, but authorities arrested one suspect that evening and a second the following day around midday. The second man had fled while carrying a hunting rifle before surrendering to police.

Both men were placed in custody as the La Roche-sur-Yon prosecutor’s office opened a murder investigation. Investigators must determine who used the weapon and what led to the shooting. They are also examining the role of the first man arrested and whether he had a connection to the other suspect.

According to La Nouvelle République, two family caravans belonging to the main suspect stood about 50 metres opposite the victim’s caravan. The victim’s wife told the local newspaper: "My husband was shot dead just a few steps from our caravan, for no reason, by a man with whom we had no relationship. We did not particularly know each other; we are all both settled and itinerant!"

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My husband was shot dead just a few steps from our caravan, for no reason, by a man with whom we had no relationship. We did not particularly know each other; we are all both settled and itinerant!