19-year-old shot on Avenue Louise in Brussels
A 19-year-old man was found with two gunshot wounds to the head on Avenue Louise in Brussels on Monday. The young man is currently in hospital in critical condition.
The Brussels prosecutor's office on Thursday confirmed the news previously reported by La Capitale.
At around 21:30 on Monday night, the Brussels/Ixelles local police area received a call about the incident on Avenue Louise in the Brussels municipality of Ixelles.
"At the scene, officers discovered a 19-year-old man with serious injuries," said Stefan Vandevelde, spokesperson for the Brussels public prosecutor's office.
Victim in mortal danger
"Emergency services attended the scene and provided first aid, after which the victim was taken to hospital. At the moment, the young man's life is still in danger," said Vandevelde.
According to La Capitale, the victim was shot twice in the head. The Brussels public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the exact circumstances of the incident.
It is currently unclear whether the incident is linked to the recent rise in drug-related violence in Brussels. In February, five shootings took place in the Brussels municipalities of Forest and Saint-Gilles in the space of a few days, leaving one person dead.
Tackling drug-related crime
Just this week, unknown assailants fired a weapon at the facade of a house in the municipality of Forest. No one was injured in this incident.
Last week, Brussels minister-president Rudi Vervoort announced that the Brussels Regional Security Council had identified 15 hotspots where authorities will focus their efforts to combat drug-related crime.
The hotspots include the Ixelles district of Matongé, Gare du Midi and Gare du Nord. In these areas, the sale and consumption of alcohol will be banned, and systematic identity checks, searches and the confiscation of dangerous objects will be authorised.
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