A man was killed in a shooting on Rue Wiertz in Ixelles on Monday at 18:00, in an apartment block next to the European Parliament's Sophie Scholl building.
In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, the Brussels Public Prosecutor Julien Moinil confirmed that the victim was hit by several shots and died shortly after being admitted to hospital, despite the help provided by the police officers as well as the ambulance crews on the scene.
"The shots happened in the common areas of a residential building, which directly exposed the inhabitants and the people in the vicinity to considerable danger. So this act of violence is committed in a daily living environment," he said.
Moinil warned that the shooting took place in a growing and worrying context in Brussels of crimes happening in areas not used to them, and at times when the public is at a higher risk of becoming innocent bystanders.
He noted that the shooting occurred in the late afternoon in a bustling residential neighbourhood, at a time when many families were still out and about. The prosecutor emphasised the danger that this armed violence poses to local residents, particularly children.
"This neighbourhood is not used to such incidents," he said.
Moinil stressed that the prosecutor's office and investigation services are doing everything possible to identify the perpetrators and shed light on the circumstances of the crime.
The perpetrators have not been apprehended, Moinil said.
The place of a shooting which took place in the night along Wiertz street, in Ixelles, on Tuesday 13 October 2026. One person died in a shooting overnight from Monday to Tuesday. Credit: Belga/James Arthur Gekiere
The victim was shot while in the entrance hall of his apartment block.
The victim was shot in the chest and later died after emergency services were unable to resuscitate them. Witnesses allege to have seen three or four suspects fleeing the scene after the incident.
Police are guarding the entrance to the building's underground parking, with checks reportedly being carried out on anyone entering or leaving the block.
La Capitale reports that at least seven bullet casings were also found, with Het Nieuwsblad reporting several bullet impacts being visible in the building.
The exact circumstances of the incident are not yet known. The prosecutor’s office said it attended the scene with an investigating judge.
In the interest of the ongoing investigation, the public prosecutor's office will not comment further on the case.
The news comes as a police officer was shot and killed in Jette on the same night, following a carjacking. Moinil confirmed the two incidents were unrelated.
