“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.