The Belgian newspaper "Het Laatste Nieuws" reported today, Monday, that three individuals with Swedish nationality were shot dead in Brussels. The newspaper indicated that they were likely football fans. Belgium is hosting the Swedish national team for a qualifying match for the UEFA Euro 2024 on Monday evening. A police spokesperson confirmed the death of two people in a shooting incident near the center of the Belgian capital but refrained from providing further details.
Video footage published by the newspaper showed a man wearing an orange vest on a motorcycle at an intersection, armed with a rifle, who fired two shots first, followed by three more shots. He then ran inside a building and fired two additional shots before leaving. He took a few steps back and shot again. A Belgian newspaper quoted a witness saying the shooter shouted "Allah Akbar" before opening fire.
The Belgian French-speaking broadcaster (RTBF) suspended the broadcast of the Belgium vs. Sweden match in the middle of ongoing gunfire in Brussels, while spectators were instructed to remain inside the stadium, according to a Reuters witness inside the venue.
It was later announced that a gunman of Tunisian nationality killed three Swedish nationals in Brussels, and according to his Facebook account, he was found to belong to the "ISIS" organization. UEFA announced that the Belgium vs. Sweden match in the Euro 2024 qualifiers was halted at halftime after two Swedes were shot dead in Brussels earlier on Monday. Belgium raised its security alert level to the highest after a man in a widely circulated video claimed to be the perpetrator of the attack and stated his affiliation with "ISIS".
UEFA stated on its website, "The match was stopped at halftime for security reasons. Further information will be provided soon." Swedish TV channel TV6 reported that the Swedish players informed UEFA that they did not want to play the second half, and the Belgian team agreed. French President Emmanuel Macron commented in Albania on Monday evening that Brussels had again been subjected to an "Islamic terrorist attack" after a gunman killed individuals in the Belgian capital.
