A new shooting broke out in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean this Thursday afternoon. Two young people are seriously injured. It could be a fight between rival drug gangs.
“A fight between dealers broke out in Molenbeek, in the maritime district. Two young people are between life and death, the whole district is cordoned off. We can no longer leave or return home”we are written via the orange Alert us button.
Information taken from the Brussels-West police zone, its spokesperson confirms that an incident occurred this Thursday at the beginning of the afternoon in the rue de l’Intendant in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. The police were called in around 1:30 p.m. “Our intervention services and two teams from the anti-banditry brigade went to the scene and found two injured men”, tells us the police, without giving more details. But according to our information, there will be a bullet wound and another who was stabbed. Both individuals were taken to hospital.
A fight broke out, in front of several witnesses. “I go quickly to look at the balcony window and I see a lot of people, almost 20 years old I thinktells us a local resident. All these people are dressed in clothes of the same color.”
Shots are exchanged on both sides of the street. Several people are injured, one of whom is lying on the ground. But the violence continues. “He takes the sign and he goes to continue hitting the gentleman who has already fallen. The people around him say ‘stop, stop, don’t do that'”, continues the resident. A dark car then arrived to pick up several people.
A settling of scores between rival bands
According to several witnesses, it was a drug-related settling of scores between rival gangs. “For several months we have noticed that there is a lot of coming and going of drug sellers, unfortunately. And it affects more and more young people and more and more people on our street”says another resident of the street.
A large security perimeter has been established, covering “rue de l’Intendant to rue de Mexico, from rue Vandenboogaerde to boulevard Leopold II”, says our interlocutor. It is therefore not possible to circulate in these areas, probably until this evening. “The lab still has to come on site, it will take a few hours.”
The prosecution has been notified and is now at the head of the case. The report of the intervention will be communicated to him by Friday. An investigation will have to determine the exact circumstances of this incident, but for the time being, “it is much too early to know the reasons for the fight and to make a link with the previous shootings”informs us the Brussels-West police.
The mayor of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean “angry”
Mayor Catherine Moureaux (PS) then called on Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) to strengthen the ranks of the police. “I’m mad”she expressed on Twitter. “New shots in my municipality. I had spoken and written twice to Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden to alert her to the urgent need for additional police forces. I demand an immediate response”launched Catherine Moureaux (PS). “The federal government cannot look away from what is happening here. It must put the means on the table to really harm drug and arms traffickers. Molenbeek also has the right to security!”she insisted. “Our police officers in the Brussels-West police zone work a lot and well. But this clearly goes beyond the means of the local police alone, for which I have also been calling since spring 2019 for more managers and more men!”