Bride Killed, Child Injured in Goult Wedding Shooting as French Authorities Investigate Gang-Related Attack

Police investigating after the wedding incident in France on June 22

A 27-year-old bride was killed and three others injured, including her 13-year-old son and her 25-year-old groom, when gunmen opened fire during a wedding celebration in the village of Goult in southeastern France early Sunday morning. One of the masked assailants also died in the attack, which investigators believe may be tied to organized drug-related violence.

The shooting occurred around 4:30 a.m. as the newlyweds were leaving the village hall, which they had rented in March. Masked gunmen arrived in a vehicle and opened fire with multiple weapons. According to Avignon prosecutor Florence Galtier, the attackers then fled the scene on foot. A total of 28 people were present in the hall at the time.

French gendarmes at the scene of the shooting in Goult, in the southern French department of Vaucluse (Picture: AFP)

The bride died at the scene, while one of the attackers was reportedly killed “in return fire,” though earlier reports suggested he may have been struck by the couple's fleeing car. The groom and the child in the vehicle sustained serious injuries. Authorities have not officially confirmed the relationship between the couple and the 13-year-old boy, though sources close to the case identified him as their son.

The Avignon prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into murder and attempted murder by an organized gang. As of Monday, two suspects have been taken into custody following a manhunt that involved dozens of police officers and a helicopter. No further details about those arrested have been released.

French gendarmes secure a perimeter near the site of a fatal shooting during a wedding party in Goult (Picture: AFP)

Local officials and residents expressed shock and outrage at the violent incident. Goult Mayor Didier Perello did not rule out a possible act of score-settling and noted the village’s proximity to areas previously affected by similar violence. “I’m ruling nothing out. Absolutely nothing,” he said. “I’m angry. I’m outraged.”

The mayor confirmed that the couple who booked the hall were not residents of Goult. The small village, home to just over 1,000 people as of 2022, is located approximately 50 miles north of Marseille—a city long plagued by gang violence and drug-related crime.

The bride and groom, 25, were reportedly leaving their car when they were ambushed by the attackers, who arrived in a golf cart

Restaurant owner Guillaume Molinas, 50, expressed concern about the impact of the tragedy on the village's image, stating, “The last major incident in the village was 125 years ago.”

The French government has recently pledged to ramp up its crackdown on narcotics and organized crime, particularly in regions affected by drug trafficking networks.