On September 13th, Hungary was brought violently into the tumultuous crime scene of France’s southern city Marseille. A Hungarian man, Laszlo T. was shot to death in front of a bar, supposedly by gang members.

The victim was targeted by several men armed with heavy weapons that fired in bursts the terrace of the bar where he was working. Among the other casualties, six persons were harmed, three of them being severely hurt. They were all taking shelter from the rain on the terrace of the O’Stop bar.

The alleged target, Laszlo T., was a 29 years old Hungarian man who had been living in France for two years. He was working as a guard and the head of his own security services company, Lima Protection. Witnesses said he took part in a quarrel earlier that evening with customers of the bar. The murder would have been a potential revenge from those men that came back later with machine guns. His death is the first of a foreign national in the long history of shoot-outs in France’s troubled southern city. Usually, violent acts are linked to the everlasting gang war and settling of accounts that oppose youth of the suburbs.

Violent killings of Hungarian nationals in France are uncommon, according to the Hungarian Consulate in Paris. Hence the media fury it triggered in the country, prompt to drawing quick conclusions. Newspapers with a wide audience mentioned a dispute with “Arabs”. In a political context of rising nationalism in Europe and especially in Hungary, it is not surprising that the media are fueling the argument of a clash opposing ethnic communities. The French police has not yet revealed the identity of the suspects.

During the tragic night, a group of Arab immigrants refused to pay their order and caused a conflict.

Blikk — national daily tabloid

Using words such as “immigrants”, the Hungarian media assume that the culprits were arms dealers. Dismissing the thesis of a settlement of accounts, Hungarian journalists assure that Laszlo T. was truly a victim since he had no police records. French investigators have yet to speak out on the case.

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Locals of Bekes county in Hungary, from which Laszlo T. was a native, expressed their utter surprise and emotional support to the family. As indicated by the local newspaper Beol, Laszlo’s mother was extremely affected by his loss and under sedatives. His step-dad handled the funerals and launched a crowdfunding campaign for the ceremony that was held on October 16th. Friends from his childhood boxing club also held a vigil in his honor.

In France, Laszlo’s friends also showed their support on social media. Marseille’s Royal Boxing Club released a tribute video to the young man on its Youtube account. Renaud, one of his boxer companions recalls “a brave, strong and a good man” with a taste for thai boxing.

Almost three months after the incident, very few information leaked from the investigation. French officers refuse to reveal any details on their probe and the owners of the O’Stop bar are reluctant to answer any inquiries.