A shooting at the Clemenceau metro station in Brussels’ Anderlecht district on Saturday night has left one person dead, according to Politico.
The Brussels public prosecutor confirmed on Sunday that the victim was a 19-year-old. The perpetrators remain at large. This incident is the latest in a string of violent clashes tied to drug gangs battling for control of territory in the Belgian capital. The situation has escalated in recent weeks, resulting in two fatalities.
Following the shooting, the Brussels prosecutor’s office assigned an investigating judge to handle the murder case, linking the killing to drug trafficking. Brussels prosecutor Julien Moinil stated:
We must intensify judicial investigations to dismantle the networks and those pulling the strings.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin emphasised the need for “new and strict measures” to address the crisis. An emergency meeting involving the federal police and the interior ministry is scheduled for Monday morning.
Anderlecht Mayor Fabrice Cumps expressed concern over the brazen nature of the crime, noting that the shooting occurred “despite police presence 70 meters away.”
This demonstrates that these criminals are undeterred.
The incident follows a shooting on 5 February that disrupted part of the Brussels metro network for most of the day, as the suspects fled through the subway tunnels. The recent surge in violence has heightened concerns about public safety and the need for decisive action to combat organised crime in the city.
