Shootings leave two dead in Brussels as it battles drug violence
After two more shootings occurred back-to-back this weekend, 66% of Brussels residents say they feel under threat in the context of growing drug-related violence across the capital.
Two consecutive shootings occurred in Brussels this weekend, adding to Brussels' skyrocketing levels of gun violence. Just before midnight on Saturday, a 29-year-old man was shot dead in Laeken. In a separate incident a few hours later, another 28-year-old man was severely injured by gunshots in Saint-Josse. He has since died in hospital.
It remains uncertain whether or not the two incidents are connected. In any case, the shootings have contributed to an explosion in the incidence rate of drug- and gun-related violence in Brussels. A spate of shootings in and around Saint Gilles in February shook the general public, and there have already been 21 shootings across the city this year in comparison with 85 in 2022 and 108 in 2023.
"If we continue at this rate, the figures [compared to 2023] will explode," concluded Public Prosecutor Fabienne Ledure at the murder trial held in the aftermath of the Laeken shooting.
The latest Ipsos poll conducted by Le Soir, RTL, VTM and Het Laatste Nieuws reflects growing public concern in tandem with this trend. Two thirds (66%) of participants say they feel more unsafe due to drug-related violence, 69% want more police on the streets, and 78% think drug users should be punished more severely.
Despite the survey's results pointing to a desire to get tougher on drug use, local politicians are increasingly endorsing a harm-reduction approach to drug addiction given its positive track record and its effect on reducing public drug consumption, therefore improving public security.
