Bride killed by masked gunmen during wedding reception—reports
A 27-year-old bride in Goult, France was killed after masked gunmen crashed her wedding reception, according to multiple reports.
CBS News, citing a source close to the investigation, reported that the newlyweds were leaving their party at 4:30 a.m. when masked assailants opened fire.
Three people—including the 25-year-old groom, his sister, and a 13-year-old—were injured.
One of the gunmen was killed after being hit "in return." The gunman was reportedly run over by the newlyweds' car.
French newspaper Le Parisien confirmed that the bride and one gunman died at the scene.
The CBS News source said the incident might be linked to possible drug-related score-settling.
According to Le Figaro, the Avignon prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for "murder and attempted murder by an organized gang."
The groom, meanwhile, is "well-known" to the police, having 26 entries in the criminal records processing file. His sister was known for a "violent offense."
The bride was unknown to the police, per Le Figaro.
The police said there were a total of 28 people in attendance at the time of the attack.
Goult Mayor Didier Perello told reporters at the scene that he's "angry" and "outraged," and alluded to the perceived score-settling.
"I'm ruling nothing out. Absolutely nothing," he is quoted as saying. "We're close to towns, I won't name them, where unfortunately, we've already seen this kind of thing before."
Goult is located in southeast France, about 50 miles (82 kilometers) north of Marseille, a port city that has long battled organized crime and drug-related violence, according to the BBC.
