Bloodshed in Belgium

Bloodshed in Belgium

So much for the season to be jolly....

A man in Belgium left home armed with hand grenades, a revolver and an assault rifle, stopped at a central square filled with holiday shoppers, where he lobbed three grenades into the crowd, then opened fire, reported AP.

Four people were killed, including an 18-month-old toddler, and 122 were wounded in the tragedy so close to Christmas.

The midday attack in the eastern Belgian city of Liege sent hundreds of panicked shoppers stampeding down the cobbled streets of the old city, fleeing explosions and bullets.

Belgian authorities identified the shooter as Nordine Amrani, a 33-year-old Liege resident who had done jail time for offenses involving guns and drugs, and had been called in for questioning Tuesday in a sexual abuse case.

Officials said Amrani left his home with a backpack, armed with hand grenades, a revolver and an FAL assault rifle.

He walked alone to the busy Place Saint-Lambert, the central entry point to downtown shopping streets, then climbed onto an overpass that gave him an ideal view of the square, which was bedecked with a huge Christmas tree and crowded with shoppers.

From there, Amrani lobbed three hand grenades toward a central bus stop, which serves 1,800 buses a day, and opened fire. The explosions sent shards of glass from the bus shelter across a wide area.

"I heard a loud boom," said Dimitri Degryse, who was driving near the square. "I thought it was something on my car that was broken or something. Then a few seconds after a second boom, and I saw all the glass breaking, I saw people running, screaming."

Hundreds fled the square as well as a nearby Christmas market. Video showed people, including a large group of preschoolers, rushing to seek cover, some still carrying shopping bags.

Amrani died at the scene, but Liege Pros! ecutor D anielle Reynders told reporters he was not killed by police.

It was unclear if he committed suicide or died by accident, though he still had a number of grenades with him.

Source: AP

Images: Reuters. AP

Published Dec 14 2011