Fontainebleau: Two secondary pupils arrested after mortar fire at school
Two young people were detained near François-Couperin secondary school following mortar fire targeting staff. The school remains closed for the entire week.
Violence in Fontainebleau: two arrests following mortar fire
According to actu.fr, two secondary pupils from outside Fontainebleau were arrested on Monday 9 November 2026 after two instances of firework mortar fire targeting staff members at François-Couperin secondary school. The incidents occurred around 8:30 am and then 10:30 am, with those responsible each time emerging from a pedestrian tunnel on rue d'Hurtault before directing fire towards staff and pupils standing in front of the school.
The two young people, enrolled at the secondary school but not residents of Fontainebleau, were taken into police custody and are suspected of involvement in the shooting. No injuries were reported. A police investigation was opened to identify other individuals who may have participated in the violence.
A police source close to the case suggests that the incidents could be linked to a disciplinary hearing scheduled for that day concerning a secondary pupil suspected of directing mortars at the headmaster at the beginning of October. Two hypotheses were considered: a protest against a punishment or an attempt to avoid classes. Police specified that this situation "is absolutely not linked to any blockade or demands from secondary school protests", noting that "it makes no sense, except to skip classes and discredit secondary pupils with genuine grievances".
No mobilisation was underway at the time of the incidents and no police deployment was present on site. The rectorat of the Créteil academy confirmed that the incidents were not committed as part of an official action but would constitute "disturbances" similar to those experienced by other schools.
In response to the violence, the headmaster announced the closure of the secondary school for the entire week. Lessons will continue remotely until Friday inclusive, with reopening scheduled for Monday 16 November 2026. The rectorat initially considered reopening Thursday morning before reversing this decision. "In order to guarantee the safety of everyone and avoid a fresh escalation of violence", the headmaster states, this measure was deemed necessary.
The secondary school was not placed in lockdown following the fire and lessons proceeded normally in person on Monday morning despite the incidents. The school joins a broader context of violence in French secondary schools, since on Tuesday 10 November 49 secondary schools remained blocked, representing 1% of the total. Other schools experienced serious incidents: a fire broke out in Aix-en-Provence before the blockade even began, whilst mortar fire targeted the interior of a school in Sartrouville in the presence of pupils.
Source: TF1 Info