France at 'tipping point' after '400 gang member' shoot-out as huge warning sent

Five people injured during a 400 person shoot-out in France (Image: Getty)

Five people, including teenagers, have been seriously wounded during a major shootout in France as the country issues with drug related-violence turn critical.

The incident involved "several hundred people" in the city of Poitiers in western France according to Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau.

The violence is thought to be linked to drug trafficking - a huge challenge that the government is trying to tackle.

The shoot-out resulted in a 15-year-old being severely wounded by a bullet to the head, with two other teenagers suffering injuries to their shoulders and ankles.

Retailleau explained to BFMTV/RMC radio how the shooting started at a restaurant in the Couronneries district where rival gangs clashed. The situation quickly escalated and several hundred people became involved.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau says France is at 'a tipping point' (Image: Getty)

The shootout erupted at around 10.45pm on Thursday, where police found the first casualty on the ground. People in a car had reportedly opened fire at the restaurant in the area of a known drug-trafficking hotspot.

"We are at a tipping point and the choice is between a general mobilisation or the Mexicanisation of the country," Retailleau warned.

The mayor of Poitiers, Léonore Moncond’huy, said the gunfight was "another unacceptable episode of violence". He highlighted the "young age of the victims and the participants" and praised the work of the police.

Retailleau has vowed tougher action against drug trafficking and violence which is sweeping the country, spreading beyond France’s major cities to smaller towns.

In a separate incident last week, a five-year-old boy was tragically shot in the head in the northwestern city of Rennes. Retailleau has said he will travel to the area where it happened.

The child was hit by gunfire while in a car with his father. Rennes has been identified as one of the city’s major drug dealing areas by intelligence services.

Referring to what he believes to be the "Mexicanization" of France, the minister said: "These shootings aren’t happening in South America, they’re happening in Rennes, Poitiers, in this western France once renowned for its tranquillity. We’re at a tipping point."