Brussels shooting treated as likely terrorist attack

This picture taken yesterday shows a Belgian flag lying amongst flowers laid in front of the Jewish Museum in Brussels, days after the shooting attack that killed an Israeli tourist couple, a Frenchwoman who did volunteer work at the museum, and a 24-year-old Belgian museum employee.

DPA

Brussels

The fatal shooting of three people at the Jewish Museum of Belgium is being treated as a probable terrorist attack, prosecutors announced yesterday, as the search for the perpetrator went into its third day.

The investigation will now be handled by the federal prosecution, rather than at the regional level.

“The analysis of the camera images shows that we are dealing with an individual acting in cold blood and who is very determined in his actions,” Ine Van Wymersch, a spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecution office, told journalists in the Belgian capital.

Police have requested the public’s help in identifying the attacker, who fired a Kalashnikov rifle in the museum entrance on Saturday afternoon, reportedly hitting his victims in the area of the face and throat, before fleeing on foot.

The suspect is described as being of medium build and athletic.

He was wearing a dark baseball cap and carrying two bags during the attack, Belgium’s federal police agency said on its website, which also shows video surveillance footage of the attack.

Some media outlets have speculated that the man might have filmed the attack, pointing to an object in the footage that appears to be attached to the strap of one bag.

Authorities said they would neither confirm nor deny the speculation, the Belga news agency reported.

Three people died immediately after the shooting, while a fourth was critically injured.

There have been reports that the latter has succumbed to his injuries, but authorities said he is still alive.

Two of those killed were an Israeli couple from Tel Aviv.

Emanuel and Miriam Riva will be laid to rest on Tuesday in the Israeli city, the Ynet news website reported, saying that they were leaving behind two daughters aged 15 and 16.

The third victim was a Frenchwoman who was a museum volunteer.

The critically injured person is said to be a Belgian man in his 20s who worked at the museum.

The nationalities of the victims was part of the reason why federal prosecutors are taking over the case, Van Wymersch said.

They were expected to update the press on their investigation later.

The museum said it has no information on the possible motive, but authorities have been examining whether the attack was motivated by anti-Semitism.

Jewish establishments across Belgium have been placed on high security alert.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned “all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” as he reacted to the attacks late on Sunday.

Hundreds of people attended a candlelight vigil at the museum on Sunday evening.

Visitors have also been leaving flowers at the entrance to the institution, which is located in a busy area of central Brussels.

The museum, which plans to reopen today, has opened an online condolence book after receiving messages of support from around the world, Belga said.

Messages can be sent to condoleance@mjb-jmb.org.