MARSEILLE, France, July 4 (Reuters) - French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death of a 27-year old man who was hit by a projectile at the time of the riots on Saturday, the Marseille prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

There was rioting across France following the funeral of a teenager of North African descent, whose shooting by police during a traffic stop sparked nationwide unrest for several days.

Prosecutors said the likely cause of the death in Marseille was a violent shock to the chest from a “flash-ball” projectile as used by riot police, but did not specify who fired or owned the gun. The impact led to cardiac arrest and sudden death.