Man Shot Dead in Van Carrying 10 Migrants

A 47-year-old man was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in a British commercial vehicle registered in England at the Champ l'Épée rest area on the A26 motorway around 5am on Friday. The stop lies about 20 miles north of Troyes and about 200 miles from the Channel crossing. Troyes prosecutor Isabelle Verissimo said around 10 foreign nationals who were irregularly on French territory were found in the van. An initial account said shots were fired as the van stopped to park; several people fled the scene. A suspect believed to have been present at the crime scene was arrested. Authorities said a criminal case would be opened for murder, attempted murder, unauthorised possession of a weapon, aiding the irregular entry, the movement and the residence of a foreigner in France as part of an organised group, and human trafficking as part of an organised group. The case was handed to law enforcement in Reims. The A26 is a 220-mile stretch from Troyes to Calais known as the Autoroute des Anglais. CONTESTED: No contested claims found in record. Nationalities of the dead man and the migrants have not been disclosed. The investigation continues into the shooting and those involved.