French soldier dies after being shot in head during 'game' with other soldiers

BBC Europe · Feb 20, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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French soldier dies after being shot in head during 'game' with other soldiers2 hours agoJessica RawnsleyLoïc Mizon/X20-year-old Brigadier Alexandre Lanckbeen had been serving with the 35th Parachute Artillery RegimentA French soldier has died after he was shot in the head while taking part in a game with other soldiers during a party, according to local media.Brigadier Alexandre Lanckbeen was critically injured during the incident last Saturday while attending a party involving alcohol at the Percy Military Teaching Hospital in Clamart, west of Paris.According to French prosecutors, a loaded handgun was discharged during what was described as a game between the soldiers, and a bullet struck Lanckbeen in the head.Loïc Mizon, the military governor of Paris, said he had learned with "deep sadness" of the 20-year-old's death on Friday as a result of his injuries."I wish to express my deepest compassion to his family and loved ones and assure them of the full support of the armed forces," he said in a post on X.Brigadier Lanckbeen served with the 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment based in Tarbes, and was deployed as part of Operation Sentinelle, a long-running domestic security operation.According to prosecutors, on Saturday evening four soldiers housed at Percy Hospital had begun playing a game known within the military that involves attempting to disarm a colleague and disable their weapon.The weapon is usually unloaded when the game is played but in this case it was not, according to local media.During the game, a shot was fired which struck Lanckbeen in the head.Three soldiers who were also deployed as part of Operation Sentinelle appeared before a Paris court on Tuesday in connection with the shooting, according to local media.One soldier was charged with "violence with a weapon resulting in permanent disability and breaching orders by consuming alcohol", reports said.The other two soldiers were reportedly 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".They were also charged with "altering the scene of a crime or offense to obstruct the course of justice".Following Lanckbeen's death, the charges are expected to be reclassified.The inquiry has been handed to the criminal investigation service in Hauts-de-Seine.