Police have detained a 14-year-old student suspected of shooting and wounding his middle school principal and a teacher with a hunting rifle on Monday at Joseph Lakanal Middle School in Aubagne, southern France. The weapon was reportedly hidden in a guitar case.

The incident occurred when the student fired multiple shots within the school, prompting panic among students who were evacuated. Local officials stated that the suspect fired once or twice on the first floor, injuring the principal and teacher in the legs, before proceeding to the second floor and firing again.

According to Mayor Jean-Pierre Squillari, a staff member managed to disarm the teenager before police arrived and took him into custody. A third person sustained a graze wound during the shooting. The principal and teacher were not reported to be in critical condition, having been hit with ammunition from 12-gauge shotguns.

France's Education Minister Edouard Geffray commented on the event via social media, calling it an "unacceptable act" and "further evidence of the rise of unchecked violence in our society." The prime minister’s office confirmed that the interior and education ministers were dispatched to the scene.

Gun violence perpetrated by students in schools is considered rare in France. A similar incident occurred in 2017 when a 16-year-old student armed with various weapons opened fire at a high school in southern France, injuring three students and the principal.

One student described the chaotic scene, recounting how the initial gunshot was mistaken for construction noise. The subsequent shots triggered an alarm, leading to students fleeing the classrooms. "Survival instinct took over, and I ran towards the outside," the student told Reuters.

There was no immediate indication that the shooting was connected to ongoing protests by high school students across France demanding better-resourced schools. These demonstrations have been occurring for several weeks.

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the motive behind the attack and how the student obtained the hunting shotgun. The incident has reignited concerns about school safety and the prevalence of violence in society.