The death toll after a gun-and-grenade attack in the eastern Belgian city of Liege has risen to six, including the gunman, and has left over 120 injured, local media reported.
33-year-old Nordin Amrani threw grenades and opened gun fire on the busy central Place Saint Lambert square in Liege, killing a 15-year-old boy, a 17-year-old girl, and a 75-year-old woman. Hours later, an 18-month child and a 20-year-old man passed away in hospital. Many were injured by glass while five more are in a critical condition, Agence France-Presse reports.
The circumstances of Amrani’s death are still disputed, although witnesses report that once he’d used up all of his cartridges, he took out a pistol and shot himself. It is thought that the attacker had been summoned to court on Tuesday, although it remains unclear whether he had been escorted by police. Amrani received a 58-month prison sentence for gun and drug-related crime in 2008.
Earlier today, Belgian newspaper Meuse reported that upon searching Amrani’s apartment, police found the mutilated body of a 45-year-old woman who was identified as his neighbor, who was presumably murdered before the attack. It is yet to be confirmed whether she was raped. According to local media, Amrani had transferred money to his lover’s bank account on the previous night, accompanied by a proclamation of love.
During the attack, many people hid in nearby shops, which they could not leave for several hours as the crime scene was corded off by the police. Interior Ministry official Peter Mertens was quoted as saying that it did not involve terrorism.
An official at the mayor’s office stated that the death toll could have been much higher, as there was a Christmas market due to open near the square but it was postponed due to bad weather.
The scene of the tragedy has already been visited by Belgian Prime Minister Elio di Rupo, as well as Belgian king Albert II and his wife. President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy said that he was "absolutely shocked by these brutal murders."
