Four people were injured following a shooting on Wednesday evening on one of the busiest shopping streets in Brussels. So far, the identity of one victim has been confirmed, but no arrests have been made.
The shooting occurred on Avenue de la Toison d'Or by Porte de Namur, a busy street with many shops and restaurants. Around 19:35, the police services of the Brussels Capital/Ixelles police zone received a call for a shooting and immediately went to the scene.
Four people were injured and one person's life was considered to be in danger, the Public Prosecutor's Office stated late on Wednesday evening. On Thursday, it was confirmed that no more people found themselves in life-threatening situations, adding that another victim twisted his knee while fleeing the scene.
One of the victims was found near the Galerie Toison d'Or, a second was found near the Apple Store and a third in the Rue des Chevaliers. No details have yet been released about the fourth victim. The perpetrator or perpetrators of the shooting were no longer on site when the police arrived.
"According to initial findings, this is a settlement of a dispute and not an act of terror," said the Public Prosecutor's Office, confirming the possibility of a drug-related settling of accounts. On Thursday, an act of terror was officially ruled out "at this stage".
A judicial perimeter was set up to preserve all traces useful for the investigation. Brussels Mobility stated on Wednesday evening that the Boulevard de Waterloo and Avenue de la Toison d'Or were closed to traffic due to emergency services, but both roads were reopened to traffic at around 02:00 on Thursday.
An attempted murder charge has been referred to an examining magistrate. "At this stage of the investigation, the motive for the acts is not yet known," the Public Prosecutor's Office said.
"The investigation is ongoing to identify the perpetrator(s) and to find out the exact circumstances of the incident."
Swedish party worker among the injured
A Swedish woman employed by the Swedish Moderate Party (Moderaterna) was among those injured in the shooting, Tomas Tobé, a member of the same party, wrote on social media.
Tweet translation: "One of our staff members has been injured in a shooting in Brussels. This is terrible. The person in question is currently being treated and the situation is not considered critical. The relatives of the person have been informed."
He confirmed early on Thursday morning that the 30-year-old was "doing well under the circumstances" and that she was receiving medical care and support. The victim is said to work for an MEP, but it is unknown for whom.
The shooting comes almost two months after two Swedish football fans were shot and killed in a terror attack and a taxi driver was severely injured on Boulevard d'Ypres near Place Sainctelette: just a 20-minute walk from the Grand Place. Video footage posted on social media showed him shooting a rifle and shouting "Allah Akhbar".
While Swedish nationals were victims in both incidents, no connection has been made between the latest shooting and the terror attack in October. Belgium has maintained a terrorist threat level 3 – categorised as "serious" and means that the threat is "possible and probable" since the terror attack as authorities "remain wary of copycats".
This article was updated at 12:30.
