Shooting in Belgium: Brussels shooter who killed 2 soccer fans dead, sources say

Prime minister calling incident terror attack in Belgium

ByAicha El Hammar Castano ABCNews logo
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Brussels shooter who killed 2 soccer fans shot dead: sources
The suspect in a shooting in Brussels, Belgium has been killed by police, sources say. The incident took place during the European qualifiers.

LONDON -- A suspected Tunisian extremist accused of killing two Swedish soccer fans in a brazen shooting in Brussels has died of his injuries, Belgian police and a source from Belgium's anti-terrorism unit confirmed to ABC News.

In what Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called an "act of terrorism" on Tuesday, the attack took place approximately 3 miles from the the Roi Beaudouin stadium where Belgium was playing Sweden to qualify for the Euro 2024 football tournament. The soccer match was suspended following the fatal shooting.

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Authorities confirmed early Tuesday that 45-year-old Abdesalem Lassoued, the suspected attacker, was shot and killed by the police in the neighborhood of Schaerbeek in downtown Brussels.

Following Monday night's attack, Belgium's interior minister announced stricter border controls along Belgian borders while the suspect was still at large.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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