A 19-year-old man was shot and killed late Saturday night in Brussels as violence linked to drug gangs continues to escalate in the Belgian capital.
Prosecutors reported on Sunday that the shooting took place in the Anderlecht district around 9:30 PM local time. Police are searching for suspects who fled the scene in a car.
“Our initial investigations lead us to believe that this incident occurred as part of a drug-related score-settling,” the prosecution stated.
Anderlecht Mayor Fabrice Cumps expressed frustration over the brazen attack, which happened despite increased police presence just 70 meters away.
“This shows that these criminals will stop at nothing. We need to keep controlling this area, but that’s not enough. We must intensify judicial investigations to dismantle these networks and those pulling the strings,” Cumps said.
Brussels has seen a surge in drug-related shootings in recent years. Officials say Belgium is home to over 100 of Europe’s most dangerous criminal organizations.
