A Walloon teenage boy shot and nearly killed his own father over the weekend, l'Avenir has reported.
The unnamed teenager, who is believed to be either 14 or 15 years old, shot his 37-year-old father in the leg with a revolver between 21:00 and 22:00 on Sunday evening in the sleepy town of Jambes, in Namur province in Wallonia.
The victim's 67-year-old mother (the boy's grandmother) was also present at the shooting. Upon witnessing the event, she immediately rushed across the street to where her brother (her son's uncle) lives.
"I rushed over," the uncle said. "The bullet hit my nephew's leg, just above the knee. I took a belt to immediately apply a tourniquet to the wound. I think it saved him."
The aftermath
The boy's father was subsequently operated on at Namur Hospital on Monday afternoon. He reportedly will make a full recovery, although it will take time for his leg to regain full mobility.
After the shooting, the boy was taken to a local police station for questioning. It is likely that he will be placed, at least temporarily, in the IPPJ ('Institutions publiques de protection de la jeunesse'), Belgium's youth protection institutions.
It is currently unknown how the boy acquired access to the revolver.
A troubled upbringing
The boy reportedly experienced a troubled upbringing: he was raised by his grandparents, after his own parents' marriage unravelled shortly after his birth. His grandfather, with whom he was reportedly extremely close, recently died of Covid. Over the last few months he had attended school only intermittently, and his behaviour had become increasingly erratic.
Related News
- Eight-year-old child reportedly locked up for life in Germany
- 'You'll never see them again': Flemish father murders his own small children
The boy's conduct eventually led his grandmother to call the father, who lives abroad, to come to Belgium to talk with his son in an effort to improve his behaviour.
The father had only been on Belgian soil for a few hours before his son shot him.
