A French soldier has died after being accidentally shot in the head during a game with other soldiers at a military hospital outside of Paris, officials said.
Brigadier Alexandre Lanckbeen, 20, was critically injured last Saturday at the Percy Military Teaching Hospital in Clamart, a suburb west of Paris, in an incident that involved a loaded handgun, prosecutors said. He died Friday, military officials confirmed.
“I learned with deep sadness of Brigadier Lanckbeen’s death,” Loïc Mizon, the military governor of Paris, said on X.
“I wish to express my deepest compassion to his family and loved ones and assure them of the full support of the armed forces.”
Lanckbeen was serving in the 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment, stationed in Tarbes, and had been deployed as part of Operation Sentinelle, a homeland security operation that has deployed thousands of French soldiers since 2015 to secure key sites against potential terrorist threats.
According to the prosecution, the incident took place during a social event at the hospital, where alcohol was involved.
Four soldiers stationed at Percy Hospital allegedly started playing a military game that involves trying to disarm a fellow soldier and make their weapon useless.
Usually, the game is played using unloaded guns. However, in this incident, the gun was loaded. A shot was fired during the game that hit Lanckbeen in the head.
Three other soldiers who took part in the incident have also appeared before a Paris court in relation to the shooting.
One of the soldiers was charged with “violence with a weapon resulting in permanent disability and breaching orders by consuming alcohol,” according to local sources.
Two other soldiers were charged with “involuntary bodily harm resulting in a work incapacity exceeding three months, through a manifestly deliberate violation of regulatory obligation of safety or caution,” as well as “altering the scene of a crime or offense to obstruct the course of justice.”
Following the death of Lanckbeen, it was reported that the charges against the soldiers will be revised to include the death that resulted from the shooting.
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The criminal investigation service in Hauts-de-Seine has taken over the case.
There is no further information from the prosecutors on the details of the incident related to the management of the firearm and whether there is an internal case against the soldiers in the armed forces.
According to military sources, Brigadier Lanckbeen was a young soldier with a few months of service who had been actively participating in home security operations under Operation Sentinelle.
The operation involves deploying soldiers in public areas such as transport nodes, government offices, and tourist sites, with an emphasis on counter-terrorism and quick response.
The use of firearms in unofficial or off-duty military events is a rare occurrence in the French military, which has strict guidelines on the handling and safety of weapons.
The extraordinary nature of the shooting, especially the presence of alcohol and the use of a loaded weapon in a game, has attracted both criminal and military investigations.
According to local sources, the game in question is referred to as a training exercise that aims to test the soldier’s reflexes and weapon skills, but is conducted using unloaded guns.
However, it has been noted that the investigation is still ongoing, and no other conclusions can be drawn at this point.
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The investigation will also reveal the order of events that led to the discharge of the weapon and whether negligence or deliberate wrongdoing was involved in the death of Lanckbeen.
According to military sources, the military is offering assistance to the soldier’s family and examining military procedures for events involving weapons on military grounds. The military has also reiterated the need to follow safety procedures at all off-duty events, especially those involving weapons.
The incident has highlighted the safety procedures followed by French military units and the dangers associated with off-duty events involving military weapons.
The incident has occurred at a time when Operation Sentinelle continues to attract public attention as a prominent part of France’s domestic security policy.
Brigadier Lanckbeen’s colleagues have described him as being committed to his work.
The military authorities have not yet released information regarding the funeral and commemoration of the deceased, as it is the family’s privacy that is being respected.
The case investigation by the Hauts-de-Seine criminal service will proceed, and the prosecutors have stated that the legal status of the charges will be changed in view of Brigadier Lanckbeen’s death.
