Four people were injured in a shooting late Tuesday night on Boulevard du Midi in Brussels, with two victims in critical condition, according to police spokesperson Ilse Van de Keere.
The incident occurred shortly before midnight. Several police patrols were dispatched to the scene immediately after the shooting, Belga News Agency reports.
To secure the area and facilitate both rescue operations and investigations, the police established three safety perimeters around the site.
"Our officers responded to an incident involving gunshots on Boulevard du Midi. Multiple patrols were sent to the location," Van de Keere stated.
Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for Brussels Fire Brigade, confirmed that two emergency medical teams and three ambulances were deployed to assist the victims.
Four suspects have since been arrested as part of the investigation.
Mayor appeal for help
Jean Spinette, the mayor of the nearby municipality, Saint-Gilles, has issued an urgent call for increased police presence to tackle the growing gun violence in the Brussels municipality and surrounding area.
In an open letter sent on Tuesday to Interior Minister Bernard Quintin, public prosecutor Julien Moinil, and Brussels-Midi Police Chief Jurgen De Landsheer, Spinette expressed deep concern over the "normalisation" of gun-related violence. He pressed for immediate action to strengthen police resources on the ground.
The plea follows a shooting last Wednesday night at Place Bethléem, where bullets struck the local school, Les Quatre Saisons.
One bullet became lodged in the school secretary’s window frame, while another was found embedded in a classroom’s double glazing.
Saint-Gilles Mayor Jean Spinette at a previous crime scene in his municipality. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
"I am willing to be a reassuring mayor, but enough is enough," said Spinette. "The staff have been extraordinary—resilient and understanding—but we need reinforcements and a stronger police presence."
In the letter, Spinette said he was angered by the fact that such violence is becoming commonplace, and criticised the lack of response.
"It is unacceptable to consider it normal to see shootouts involving military-grade weapons near a school," he said.
He added that he could not understand why two additional police patrols could not be deployed to the area.
Offering his support to both the public prosecutor and the Brussels-Midi police force, Spinette acknowledged their tireless efforts to restore safety.
"This letter is not a denunciation," he clarified. "It is a cry for help—for solidarity and awareness."
A meeting with the Interior Minister has been scheduled in the coming days.
