Man injured in drug-linked Brussels shooting after attack on police station
The police station attack marked "yet another wake-up call for Brussels," according to the capital's minister-president.
A man sustained injuries in a shooting incident in Brussels' Saint-Gilles district on Saturday evening, occurring just one day after gunmen attacked a police station in Anderlecht. Saint-Gilles Mayor Jean Spinette informed Belga news agency that the victim did not face life-threatening injuries and connected the event to narcotics-related crime.
The shooting took place on a square known as "place des Deux Bancs," a hotspot for drug trafficking. This act of violence occurred just a day after a shootout where gunmen, armed with a heavy weapon, targeted a police station in Anderlecht, before fleeing on an e-scooter. Brussels' Minister-President Boris Dilliès described the violence as "yet another wake-up call" for the Belgian capital, vowing, "We will not let organized crime take over our city."
Dilliès announced that his government would take measures to tackle the violence, including appointing a Brussels commissioner for drugs, who will assume the role from September, and restricting the use of e-scooters, which are "unfortunately, often used by criminals." Top prosecutor Julien Moinil stated that the target of Friday night's shooting indicated a clear intent to undermine authority.
However, he added that the perpetrators would not succeed. Moinil explained that many shootings are ordered from within prisons, urging the creation of secure zones where phones cannot operate. In the first seven months of 2026, Brussels recorded 57 shootings, resulting in two deaths and 21 injuries, according to VRT.
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