Gun violence rattles Brussels as mayor points to ‘bullet holes in the ground’
Belgian Interior Minister claims that shootings were a targeted response from drug criminals to intensified police raids.
Gun violence erupted in Brussels on Monday night, as an attacker armed with an automatic weapon opened fire near the Brussels Midi train station. Mayor of Saint-Gilles, Jean Spinette, called for assistance, stating that the city had endured a third shooting in consecutive days. The incident occurred following a shooting on Saturday evening, which left one person injured, and another shooting on Sunday morning that damaged an apartment window.
Mayor Spinette recounted a particularly alarming occurrence: "A guy fired a Kalashnikov in front of children in my village. There are bullet holes in the ground."
The pizzeria occupied by customers when the gunfire erupted had to lay on the floor as shots rang out. The perpetrator managed to escape before authorities could apprehend him as of Tuesday morning. Saint-Gilles has been plagued by drug-related violence for years, particularly around the train station. In June 2024, a café near the Brussels-Midi station was targeted by gunmen, resulting in two deaths and three injuries, an incident authorities linked to drug trafficking.
Mayor Spinette has been advocating for increased police presence in the area for three years, stating that "I’ve been asking for reinforcements for three years." Currently, around 700 police officers are deployed across Saint-Gilles and the broader Midi police zone, with the municipality contributing an additional €1.8 million annually to bolster the police force.
However, Mayor Spinette believes that the current measures have not been sufficient to curb the violence. At least 66 shootings have been documented across the wider Brussels region in 2026, according to Le Soir.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin attributed the escalating drug-related violence to criminals issuing threats to the community as they attempt to disrupt ongoing operations. Speaking to Belgian public broadcaster VRT, Quintin emphasized the need to continue the fight against drug-related crime with determination, acknowledging that it would be a long-term endeavor.
In response to the mounting violence, Quintin had already dispatched 77 additional officers to Brussels and was considering sending more reinforcements to address the growing security concerns.
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