Two people were shot dead in Brussels this evening. The investigation is ongoing, a police spokeswoman said in the evening. The Belgian Minister of the Interior, Annelies Verlinden, wrote on Twitter (X) that the perpetrator of the crime was still being sought. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo appealed to Brussels residents to be vigilant.
According to the Belgian news agency, an armed man got off a scooter in the north of the city center and fired shots in the street. When several people fled through the driveway of a house, he chased them and shot them. Police initially did not confirm this information.
According to De Croo, the victims were Swedes. He expressed his sincere condolences to the Swedish Prime Minister: “As close partners, the fight against terrorism is a common fight.” Following the shooting, Belgian authorities raised the terrorism alert level for the capital Brussels to the highest level of four.
According to initial information, the dead were Swedish football fans. A European Championship qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden in the city was canceled at half-time at the request of the players, Swedish broadcaster TV6 reported. According to a Portal reporter at the stadium, visitors were initially asked not to leave.