Among the five people now confirmed injured in a shooting on one of the capital's busiest shopping streets on Wednesday evening was a footballer who was once part of the Red Devils, Belgium's national team.
The shooting occurred on Avenue de la Toison d'Or by Porte de Namur, a busy street with many shops and restaurants. Around 19:35, the police services of the Brussels Capital/Ixelles police zone received a call about a shooting and immediately went to the scene. By the time emergency response teams arrived, the perpetrators were no longer on the site.
On Thursday, it was confirmed by the Public Prosecutor's Office that the incident was a settlement of a dispute, likely drug-related, and not an act of terror. A total of 14 bullets were fired, resulting in five people being wounded (one person hurt his knee when running away).
One of those injured was a Swedish woman confirmed to be an assistant to a Swedish MEP of the Moderate Party (Moderaterna). On Friday, local media reported that another of the injured was Ilombé 'Petit Pelé' Mboyo, who currently plays football with Excelsior Virton in the first amateur league.
Rival drug dealers
Mboyo is a former AA Gent and Racing Genk player and even made it to the Red Devils' selection. In 2012, he was called up twice for the internationals against Serbia and Scotland. But his career never quite took off due to his involvement in various kinds of gang violence.
On Wednesday evening, the 35-year-old was on the busy shopping street talking to Alan M., a drug dealer known to police, who was being targeted by a gunman sent by a rival drug dealer. Alan M. allegedly took over part of the drug trade in the African district of Matongé from a competitor, De Standaard reported.
Alan M. received a bullet in the head, thigh, hip and chest and was taken to hospital in a critical condition while Mboyo received minor injuries to the arm as he fled. Another man talking to the two was also slightly injured.
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Mboyo, nicknamed Petit Pelé, was reportedly also one of the hitman's targets, but sources told Het Nieuwsblad that he would not be involved in the "shady affairs" of his friend Mboyo, which include in 2005 a seven-year prison sentence for gang rape of a minor. Mboyo was 17 at the time.
Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt visited the scene of Wednesday night’s shooting to identify what federal and local measures are needed to combat gang violence in the neighbourhood.
The minister confirmed that various measures are already in place and assured that police are being staffed and provided resources at the federal level as they continue the campaign against organised crime.
