Marseille Nursery Forced to Close Due To ‘Kalashnikov’ Gunfire

A nursery in Marseille’s 15th arrondissement (district) has been closed since last week after alleged Kalashnikov gunfire erupted nearby, scaring many of the children present at the nursery.

Around sixty young children and fifteen staff members were present at the nursery last Wednesday when gunfire described as Kalashnikov shots were heard nearby, which is said to have greatly frightened the children.

Sabrina, a mother of a two-year-old girl who attends the nursery, spoke out about the incident saying “She was very, very scared,” and added, “She told me ‘boom, boom’ (sic). Unfortunately, this is not the first time she has heard this, but this time she was terrorized the little one,” broadcaster Franceinfo reports.

Medina, one of the nursery employees, also spoke about the incident saying, “We had to reassure the children,” and added, “There are children who have locked themselves in the toilet and said, ‘Tata, I don’t want to go out, I’m scared.'”

“Others were asleep and woke up startled!  To reassure them, I told them it was fireworks,” she added.

Parents of the children who attend the nursery are hoping that they will be able to re-open next week and held a meeting on the subject on Monday evening alongside local elected officials.

Kalashnikov gunfire is not uncommon in some areas of Marseille and has been a lingering issue for several years as gangs target each other with fully automatic weapons.

Last October, police officers were even targeted by Kalashnikov fire in the 15th arrondissement in the La Bricarde area while conducting an anti-drug operation.

“They had to throw themselves on the ground to avoid the bullets, several of which came to be stuck in a wall against which the agents had been leaning just before the shots,” a source told French media at the time and added that it was clear those shooting were aiming to shoot police.

Rudy Manna, departmental secretary of the Alliance police union in the Bouches-du-Rhône, has described the situation in northern Marseille as being like a warzone. “It is war in the northern districts of Marseille. It is almost a lawless area,” Manna said.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.