Shooting in Brussels

End of the federal phase of crisis management.  

Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.  

Many thanks to all emergency and intervention services and all other partners who contributed to the management of this crisis. 

The NCCN (National Crisis Centre) will remain vigilant and continue to monitor the situation in the coming days and weeks. 

Are you in need of psychosocial support? Then you can contact : 

•  Community Help Service (CHS) free of charge on 02 648 40 14.  
• Your General Practitioner. They can refer you to appropriate psychosocial care.  

Victims, witnesses and those who were in some way involved in the Brussels shooting may be left with many questions and emotions. Such an experience can leave an overwhelming impression. If you need emotional support to cope with this shocking event, you can turn to the Victim Support service.

Everyone reacts differently, but in general a shocking event has an (emotional) impact on a person. You may be confused about the event, have experienced feelings of fear, worry, disbelieve,...  These reactions may have occurred during the event but may also surface later.

Reach out to CAW in Flanders or the website victimes.be in Wallonia or Brussels.

You can also call Community Help Service (CHS) free of charge on 02 648 40 14.

National moment of remembrance to pay tribute to the victims of the Brussels shooting on Monday night, 16 October.

Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.

Shortly before eight o'clock this morning, a witness informed Brussels police that he had seen the suspected perpetrator of the attack at a café in Schaerbeek.
Local police went to the scene. During the intervention, the suspect was shot. 
When the emergency services arrived at the scene, they tried to resuscitate the suspect. He was transferred to hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9.38am.
A war weapon, an AR-15, and a bag of clothes were found in the cafe. Two handguns and a knife were also found in the immediate vicinity of his residence. The origin of these weapons is yet to be determined. 
Numerous investigative actions continued today. Four house searches took place this morning. Two persons were also detained for questioning by the police because of their possible contacts with the suspected perpetrator of the attack. 
The motives behind the attack are also to be investigated. Initially, a link to the Quran burning in Sweden was suggested because of an allusion to them in one of the videos published by the alleged perpetrator before the attack. This morning, possible links to the situation in Israel and Palestine can no longer be ruled out. They are currently being investigated following publications on social media (including Facebook). In these posts, the suspected perpetrator expresses his support for the Palestinian people.
At this stage of the investigation, it does not appear that the terrorist attack was organised by a broad terrorist structure. The lone wolf theory seems closer to reality. 
The police intervention that resulted in the Brussels police officers using their service weapon is also the subject of a separate investigation by the Brussels prosecutor's office. In accordance with the instructions of the College of public prosecutors, another investigating judge has been appointed in such circumstances. I would like to take this opportunity to underline the courage of the police officers who entered the establishment knowing that a heavily armed shooter could be inside.

At 5 p.m., following the National Security Council, the Prime Minister, the Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital region and the relevant federal ministers, secretary of state and the federal prosecutor gave an overview of the current situation, threat assessment and the security measures that are now in place.

Transition to threat level 3

Following the OCAD's threat analysis, level 4 was determined yesterday evening for the Brussels Capital Region and level 3 as general threat level for Belgium. Since the perpetrator has since died and there are no indications that he had accomplices, it was decided to lower the threat level.

Level 3 is now in place for the entirety of the country.

Security measures

Threat level 3 implies the following security measures:

• Increased vigilance of police forces across the country;
• Increased police presence;
• Additional security measures may be taken for specific locations.

All security and intelligence services continue to monitor the situation closely to adjust measures if necessary.

The suspect in last night's attack in Brussels has been neutralised this morning by the police. In the meantime, the judicial investigation is being pursued and several investigation measures have been taken or are being taken.

On the basis of the latest information and intelligence it has received from its partner services, CUTA considers that there is no longer any imminent threat in this case. The threat level for Brussels, which had been raised to level 4, has therefore been reduced to level 3. The general threat level for Belgium remains at level 3 for the time being. Next to this general level, CUTA can also draft specific punctual evaluations for specific interests where needed. CUTA and its partners are continuing to monitor the situation closely and are asking all services to increase their vigilance.

Following last night's shooting, all security services continue to monitor the situation closely. We will continue to update you as the situation and security measures evolve.  

More specifically, how do we proceed during a federal phase of crisis management? What is the schedule for this Tuesday afternoon?  

Since 2 p.m., all relevant authorities have been convening at the National Crisis Center in the federal coordination committee to effectively coordinate their various activities and missions.  

At 3 p.m., the relevant ministers of the federal government and federated entities will meet for a National Security Council to decide on any changes to the measures. This Council meeting will be followed by a press conference.  

After this press conference, it is up to the communicators of the various cabinets, ministries, emergency and security services and federal, regional and provincial governments to coordinate their actions within the information committee.

The main success factor of crisis management is continuous consultation between all services involved. Keep following our updates on the shooting in Brussels here : Shooting in Brussels - Crisiscenter and take good care of yourself and others.

Are you in need of a talk with a psychosocial professional or psychosocial support after the events of the past evening?

• If so, you can call Community Help Service (CHS) free of charge on 02 648 40 14. 
• You can also always contact your General Practitioner. They can refer you to appropriate psychosocial care.

Regarding the file of the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office on last night's terrorist attack, we can communicate the followings information.

A little after eight o'clock this morning, a witness informed the Brussels police that he had spotted the suspect in a café in Schaerbeek.

The police arrived at the scene and during the intervention, the suspect was shot. 
The emergency services also arrived at the scene and tried to resuscitate the man.

He was transferred to the hospital where his death was confirmed at 9.38 am.
A military weapon and a bag of clothes were found in the bar.

The shooting incident is being investigated by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Brussels. 

In the interest of the investigation, no further details or information can be provided.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office confirmed that the suspect of last night's shooting was identified and has passed away.

A shooting took place in our capital on Monday night, 16 October.   

Two persons died in the incident. A third person was injured.   

Our country extends its condolences to the relatives of the victims.   

The federal phase of crisis management was declared. This means that the National Crisis Center very quickly brought together all the partners involved.  

The Federal Prosecutor's Office is currently leading the investigation into the shooting. At the moment, the investigative acts have not yet led to the arrest of a suspect. The court and police forces are actively pursuing their investigations.   

CUTA has raised the threat level in Brussels to level 4, meaning the threat is very serious and imminent.   

The threat level for the rest of the country has been raised to level 3. This means the threat is serious.  

Police forces have been asked to carry out special surveillance for Swedish interests in our country.  

Keep an eye on the National Crisis Center’s channels for further updates: www.crisiscentrum.be and our social media channels via @crisiscenterBE. 

The football stadium is being evacuated. Please follow the instructions of the emergency services. Return home immediately.

Tonight just after seven o'clock, an armed shooting took place targeting three people at the junction of Saincteclette and the Boulevard du Neuvième de Ligne, in the centre of Brussels.

Two persons died in this incident. A third victim, a taxi driver, is said to be out of danger. The federal emergency phase was declared this evening at 9.13pm. This federal phase involves the mobilisation of the National Crisis Centre and national crisis cells. At that point, the case was federalised.

The takeover by the federal prosecutor's office occurred because of the possible terrorist motive of the shooting.

During the evening, the incident was claimed on social media. The message was recorded by a person identifying himself as the attacker. He claims to be inspired by Islamic State.

During the same message, the Swedish nationality of the victims was cited as a possible motive for the act.

At present, there is no indication that the attack is linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Based on these facts and the claim, urgent security measures have been taken to protect Swedish supporters as best as possible.

As a result of the deadly shooting in the centre of Brussels on Monday 16 October 2023, CUTA raises the threat level for Brussels to level 4 (threat is very serious and imminent). The general threat level for Belgium is raised to level 3 (serious). These threat levels will remain in place until we have more information.  

Arrangements to safely escort supporters from the Belgium-Sweden match out of the stadium are being examined. Supporters will be given more information at the stadium. Please follow the instructions of the emergency services.

Threat level 4 for the Brussels Capital Region. Active vigilance is requested. Avoid unnecessary movements.

A shooting took place in Brussels tonight. There have been casualties. Out of respect, we request that no images or videos related to this incident are shared.