Attack in Belgian city leaves 5 dead, 122 wounded

[James48]

LIEGE, Belgium (AP) — Summoned for questioning by Belgian police, a man with a history of weapons and drug offenses left home armed with hand grenades, a revolver and an assault rifle. Stopping at a central square filled with holiday shoppers, he lobbed three grenades into the crowd, then opened fire.

Four people were killed, including an 18-month-old toddler, and 122 were wounded in the assault Tuesday that brought tragedy to the pre-Christmas season of students reveling in exam results and preschoolers enchanted by brightly lit trees and holiday stalls.

Authorities said the shooter also died, but they were at a loss to explain the reason for the onslaught. The prime minister said it was not related to terrorism.

More @ Associated Press:
http://news.yahoo.com/attack-belgian-city-leaves-5-dead-122-wounded-225544271.html

[tawadi]

1. Two of those killed were 15 and 17 year old boys

"The teenagers had just finished taking their school exams, said Liege Mayor Willy Demeyer, according to local news reports."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-belgium-gunman-20111214,0,7775911.story

So sad.

[1620rock]

2. Jesus, is the whole world going nuts?

[James48]

3. More details

Appears to be a lone-gunman.

Previously served time in jail for weapons charges.

Had hand-grenades, a pistol, and a rifle.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/8954477/Liege-attacks-Lone-gunman-brings-terror-to-streets-of-Belgian-city-with-hand-grenade-attack.html

[oberliner]

5. What about motive?

Still a blank at this point?

[willing dwarf]

8. My best guess

Paranoid schizophrenia. The stress of being summoned by the police probably brought on this crisis.

Now where the weapons came from is probably the larger question which should be considered. If Europe becomes awash in guns as the US is, there will be more and more such senseless violence.

The real terror is the availability of weapons of war.

[oberliner]

4. "At a loss to explain the reason for the onslaught"

Has there been any progress in this regard?

Any more info on the shooter?

Was he a RW extremist of some kind?

[ellisonz]

6. I think this is very clearly an act of domestic terrorism.

[jannyk]

7. And apparenty he left a dead woman at home, in the shed....

Liege attack: Belgian police find body in killer's shed

Police in Belgium have found a woman's body in a shed belonging to a gunman who went on the rampage in the centre of Liege on Tuesday. The body was found with a bullet wound to the head, say Belgian officials.

The body found at the killer's property was that of a cleaner, reported to be 45 years old, who worked for one of Amrani's neighbours. Also found in the shed were two weapons and a stockpile of ammunition, the public prosecutor, Daniele Reynders, told a news conference. No message has been found from the attacker, she said.

Nordine Amrani launched his attack with guns and hand grenades in a busy marketplace in Liege, killing three people there and himself.

Police say a 75 year-old woman earlier identified as one of the dead is still alive in hospital.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16172662

[Odin2005]

9. If only they had stricter gun laws... oh, wait, they DO.