Third shooting in three days in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean

A third shooting in three days took place on the night of Saturday to Sunday in the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. The shootings are believed to be linked to tensions in the drug scene.

The shooting took place at around 22.00 on Saturday night near Rue de l'Ecole in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. Neighbours heard several bangs, but there are no reports of casualties.

Shortly after the shots were fired, the Brussels West police gave chase to a suspicious vehicle and finally arrested the two occupants in the municipality of Vilvoorde. 

The police also found a firearm on the getaway route, believed to belong to one of the two occupants. It is not yet clear whether there is a link between the shooting and the pursuit.

"At this stage of the investigation, the Brussels prosecutor's office cannot establish a link between the explosions heard on Saturday night in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean and the subsequent car chase," said prosecutor's spokeswoman Yasmina Vanoverschelde.

"After the chase, two people were arrested and handed over to the public prosecutor's office. One of them, the suspected passenger in the vehicle, was released after questioning by the public prosecutor's office," Vanoverschelde said.

The shooting is the third in the municipality in three days. On Thursday night, shots were fired around midnight near Parc Bonnevie, injuring one person. The victim was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The following night, a second shooting took place in the area of Rue Vanderdussen, near the Étangs Noirs metro station. The occupants of a car with French number plates fired four bullets at a man walking in the street at around 23:30. The man was reportedly hit in the leg.

^{Illustrative image © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT}