Twelve people were injured, at least two critically, when a grenade was thrown into a crowded bar in the city of Grenoble in southeastern France. The attack occurred on Wednesday evening, when an individual carrying an automatic rifle reportedly entered the bar, threw the grenade, and fled without speaking.
Public prosecutor François Touret de Courcy described the attack as “an act of extreme violence.” He stated that investigators had not yet determined a motive but ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack.
Police are exploring whether the incident may have been related to a gang-related dispute. Grenoble and its suburbs have experienced several incidents tied to drug and cigarette trafficking. Magistrate Christophe Barret noted that the attacker seemed to be carrying a Kalashnikov-style assault rifle but did not use it.
The attack took place at 8:15 p.m. local time in the Olympic Village neighborhood, which was built during Grenoble’s hosting of the 1968 Winter Olympics, according to Touret de Courcy. The explosion shattered all the windows of the bar, which is operated by a local association. Six people were seriously injured, including two critically. Three of the victims required emergency surgery.
Isère department prefect Catherine Séguin condemned the attack as a “cowardly criminal act,” and Grenoble Mayor Éric Piolle expressed his strong condemnation on X, thanking the emergency services for their response.
Yannick Neuder, France’s health minister, visited the victims in hospital on Thursday, calling the attack “extraordinary” and “quite unusual.” “When we consider a hand grenade… these are almost the techniques of war,” he said.
Pierre Bouzat, the coordinator of Grenoble hospital’s emergency plan, described the injuries as those typically seen in a war zone. At the time of the attack, the bar was reported to be full of men.
Cecilio Sanchez, president of the residents’ union in the Village-Olympique district, told Le Dauphiné Libéré: “We have an Olympic village by day with local police who do a super job along with local residents. And we have an Olympic village by night where there’s nobody to ensure the safety of residents. After a certain hour, the district is deserted. There are no longer any rules. Violence is everywhere. This is our daily life.”
