Last year, 184 firearm incidents were recorded in our country, resulting in 20 deaths and 81 injuries, according to the figures released by the Gun Violence Incident Monitor (GVIM) on Friday.
The Flemish Peace Institute, responsible for the publication, highlights a “worrying change” in Belgium’s figures, noting the increasing frequency of actual gunfire.
In Brussels, gunshots were fired in 86% of the 71 counted cases, leading to 13 deaths and 44 injuries. Astrid De Schutter, a researcher at the Flemish Peace Institute, emphasises the alarming rise, pointing out previously recorded firearm-related deaths ranged between 0 and 4 from 2017 to 2022.
In Antwerp province, gunshots were fired in a third of the 29 total cases. Similarly, Hainaut reported a high number of incidents at 26, with gunfire in 16 of them.
Six out of ten incidents, where the context is known, are linked to criminal circles. Data suggests nearly all acts of criminal gun violence are perpetrated by men, though women are victims in 16% of incidents.
The Gun Violence Incident Monitor has relied since late 2023 on media reports of firearm-related violence across Europe to fill gaps in official records.
