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Marseille Gathers for Mehdi Kessaci’s Funeral as Investigators Prioritize Intimidation Motive

Prosecutors now treat the shooting as an organized assassination intended to warn his activist brother.

Overview

  • Two assailants on a motorcycle fatally shot the 20‑year‑old on November 13 in broad daylight, and the suspects remain at large.
  • An autopsy found six 9mm impacts matching six casings at the scene, supporting investigators’ view of a professional commando-style hit.
  • The Marseille prosecutor has opened an investigation for organized assassination and criminal conspiracy, underscoring the organized‑crime angle.
  • Prosecutor Nicolas Bessone says Mehdi was unknown to police and was preparing to join the police, while his brother Amine, a vocal anti‑narcotraffic activist, is under protection.
  • The funeral is scheduled for this afternoon with reinforced security, a white march is set for November 22, and national officials decried an escalation as President Macron convened a meeting on narcotraffic and the situation in Marseille.