Man injured in drug-linked Brussels shooting after attack on police station

One man sustained non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting in Brussels' Saint-Gilles municipality on Saturday evening, an incident Mayor Jean Spinette linked to narcotics-related crime. The shooting occurred on "place des Deux Bancs," an area associated with drug trafficking.

This incident follows a separate attack on a police station in the Anderlecht municipality on Friday, where shooters armed with a heavy weapon targeted the station before fleeing on an e-scooter. Brussels Minister-President Boris Dilliès described the violence as "yet another wake-up call" and vowed to prevent organized crime from taking over the city.

To combat the rising violence, Dilliès announced government measures including the appointment of a Brussels commissioner for drugs starting in September and restrictions on e-scooter usage, which he noted are frequently used by criminals. The city's top prosecutor, Julien Moinil, stated that the targeting of the police station indicated a clear intent to undermine authority, but expressed confidence that such attempts would fail. He also highlighted that many shootings are orchestrated from within prisons and called for the creation of secure zones that block phone signals.

According to VRT, Brussels has recorded 57 shootings in the first seven months of 2026, resulting in two fatalities and 21 injuries.