Last Sunday in Etterbeek, a shopfront shutter was entirely torn apart, leaving neighbours shocked.
Shortly after midnight on 14 September, a detonation was heard in the rather quiet neighbourhood of Général Fivé in Etterbeek. A shopfront shutter was entirely torn apart, causing damage to the car parked in front.
Général Fivé street in Etterbeek. Credit: The Brussels Times / Anas El Baye.
Général Fivé street in Etterbeek. Credit : The Brussels Times /
"I was in the army, so I know the sound of explosives. This wasn’t just a firecracker. It was a real explosion," a long-time resident told The Brussels Times.
"It was only the next day when I woke up that I heard it was the little grocery shop. I have been in there once or twice. They used to be across the street at number 14, then moved here," he added.
Others pointed to rivalries among small shopkeepers. "I think it was revenge between grocers," said another woman who lives nearby. "Nothing to do with drug trafficking, that was over by the café on the corner, but it’s closed now," she added.
The public prosecutor confirmed that the initial findings of the investigation indicate a criminal act.
The police forensic laboratory and the SEDEE (Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service) were dispatched to the scene. The investigation is ongoing to apprehend the suspect or suspects.
As for the shop owners themselves, a middle-aged couple, described by neighbours as "kind people", they declined to speak in detail to us, visibly shaken. "We don’t feel comfortable speaking to the press right now."
Municipal prevention staff were on site the following day, but admitted there was little they could do.
A pattern
This is the fourth time Etterbeek has been a victim of this kind of explosion. Earlier this year, on 6 July, a strikingly similar incident happened in Rue Vindictive, where a homemade explosive device was thrown onto the street, starting a fire and damaging a car.
Until now, it remains unclear whether these similar incidents are reckless stunts or something more serious.
Etterbeek’s mayor, Vincent De Wolf (MR), questions whether it could be a stunt and suggests some hypotheses.
"Are the perpetrators youngsters who want to scare people? I can't really tell, because I don’t see the point of doing that," he told The Brussels Times. "The investigation will answer that clearly," he added.
Etterbeek mayor Vincent De Wolf takes the oath during a ceremony for the new mayors of the Brussels Capital Region, Friday 29 November 2024, in Brussels. Credit : Belga/Benoît Doppagne.
He was keen to stress that security in Etterbeek is robust: the police network is tight, patrols are frequent, and the municipality is closely monitored.
De Wolf is also preparing a door-to-door leaflet to reassure residents. He is confident that this was not a targeted attack on Etterbeek. But the trend is worrying.
