The attacker reportedly travelled down a main road, shooting intermittently out of his car window.
A local police chief told BFMTV that the suspect had used “an older-style semi-automatic weapon” with bursts of fire. Le Parisien reports that the gun dated back to World War Two.
Rabeh said the shooter had hit a health centre, a petrol station and several vehicles during the spree.
The suspected attacker was then arrested at the nearby town of Coignières, local media report.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said en route to Trappes that the incident “looks like a murderous rampage” but that the motive of the attacker remained unclear.
The suspect, a 39-year-old, was known to police but not to France’s intelligence services, local media report.
Rabeh suggested that the African heritage of two of the victims of the shooting may indicate a motive.
PNAT said their investigation also includes “possession of a Category A weapon” – which includes military-grade weapons or weapons capable of firing in bursts.
The anti-terrorist office also said their investigation is looking into “conspiracy with a terrorist group for the purpose of preparing crimes against persons”.
French President Emmanuel Macron shared his “deep emotion” and thoughts for the victims, adding: “In this terrible ordeal, the nation stands by their side.”
