A gunman who shot and killed two Swedish nationals in Brussels has died after being shot by police, thereby ending an overnight manhunt. Belgium’s interior minister, Annelies Verlinden, informed the broadcaster VRT that an automatic weapon found on the “neutralised person” was the same as that used during the attack that killed two Swedish men, one in his 60s and one in his 70s.The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office confirmed Tuesday that the suspect, whose identity is yet to be confirmed, had been killed was shot outside a cafe in the Schaerbeek area near the city centre.
Police opened fire during the arrest, said Eric Van Duyse, a spokesperson for the Belgian prosecutors’ service. Earlier on Tuesday morning, a search was conducted in a house near the scene of the attack but the perpetrator was not found.
Emergency services attempted to resuscitate the suspect but his death was confirmed at a hospital later that morning, the Belgium’s National Crisis Center (NCCN) said, while a military weapon was found at the cafe.
Belgian officials said on Tuesday there could be a link between the attack and the current Israel-Hamas war, Belgium public broadcaster RTBF reported.
The deadly came as Belgium hosted Sweden in a Euro 2024 qualifier soccer game at the King Baudouin Stadium 3 miles (5 kilometers) from downtown Brussels, forcing the match to be abandoned at half-time.
Sweden’s prime minister has cautioned that his country is facing the biggest threat in its modern history following the incident which authorities are investigating as terrorism.
“Sweden has in modern times never been under as big a threat as now,” Ullf Kristersson told reporters on Tuesday.
Meanwhile FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday that he was “shocked” and “saddened” by the shooting dead of two Swedish nationals before the Euro qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden.
“I am deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic death of two Swedish nationals in Brussels close to the stadium where Belgium were hosting Sweden in a UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying match,” Infantino wrote on Instagram.
“On behalf of FIFA, and the global football family, I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victims. Our thoughts are with the people of Belgium and Sweden, their respective national team players and football associations.”
