Two suspects involved in a shooting that claimed the life of a 28-year-old man in Brussels on the evening of Sunday 19 May have been arrested, according to reports from Het Nieuwsblad and Sudpresse.
The suspects are believed to be a 53-year-old man and one of his sons. Both will appear in court on Friday 31 May. The Brussels public prosecutor’s office is not commenting on the case.
The shooting took place around 23:00 on the terrace of the "El Massirat" café on Avenue de Stalingrad in Brussels city centre. The shots were fired from a scooter and injured two people. One of the victims, a 28-year-old from Aalst, later died on Monday in hospital. His family claims he was an innocent victim caught in crossfire.
Het Nieuwsblad and Sudpresse report that four people have been arrested over the past few days as part of the investigation, two of whom have been formally charged. The father of the suspects was allegedly involved in a dispute and a fight at the "El Massirat" café a few hours before the shooting took place. He reportedly received blows and lost several teeth.
After reporting the incident to the police, the man apparently encouraged his sons to seek revenge. The sons visited the café, seeking clarification from the manager. When the manager refused to show them surveillance footage that could potentially identify the other individuals from the fight, they left the premises. They returned later with a firearm and shot towards the establishment.
