A drug-related shooting in Poitiers, western France, escalated into a brawl involving up to 600 people on Thursday night.

Five individuals were seriously injured in a drive-by shooting at a restaurant, including a 15-year-old in critical condition.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau highlighted the incident as a sign of increasing drug violence, comparing it to Mexico’s cartel problems.

This event follows a fatal shooting in Rennes last week and indicates that drug trafficking is spreading beyond major cities like Marseille and Paris to smaller towns and rural areas, the BBC has reported.

Police intervened to control the fighting between rival gangs, and authorities are calling for greater action to address the rising violence.

Written by B.C. Begley