The shootings happened at three separate locations in the towns of Trappes and La Verriere, said interior minister Laurent Nunez.
They are about 15 miles southwest of central Paris.
The motive is currently unclear but the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has taken the lead and said it was looking at whether it was racially motivated.
Ali Rabeh, the mayor of Trappes, told BFMTV a man had fired shots from his car and “appeared to be firing at random and seemed intent on carrying out a massacre”.
He said the person killed was of African origin, as was one of those critically wounded.
“It is a miracle that there were not more victims,” he said, adding that the suspect fired at various locations, including a playground.
Mr Rabeh said a 12-year-old girl was also among the injured.
Police haven’t yet commented on the identity or ages of the victims.
“All available resources of the security forces and judicial authorities have been fully mobilized,” said French Prime minister Sebastien Lecornu.
The attack happened as France braces for more protests on Saturday over the high cost of living and the state of schools.
The government is deploying a much larger security presence to try to prevent a repeat of last week’s widespread unrest and violence.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said around 70,000 security personnel would be on duty. Major museums, such as the Louvre, will also stay closed.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
