A 19-year-old man was critically injured in a shooting in central Brussels on Monday evening.
Police spokesperson Ilse Van de Keere stated:
On Monday, 1 September 2025, at approximately 22:48, our services received a report regarding a person who may have been shot on Van Arteveldstraat …. Upon arrival, they found an injured individual who was transported to hospital in very critical condition.
The police quickly secured the area and notified the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office, with investigators now working to establish the exact circumstances of the shooting.
Monday’s incident adds to a growing wave of violence in the Belgian capital. Since January, Brussels has seen 57 shootings, including 20 in just the summer months. Prosecutor Julien Moinil described the situation as an “alarming trend” linked to drug trafficking, with over 6,000 adults and nearly 900 minors arraigned this year.
Local police face structural shortages, with key districts like Anderlecht, Molenbeek, and Saint-Gilles operating below minimum staffing levels.
Alain Hutchinson, Brussels’ commissioner for Europe and international organizations, attempted to downplay the violence, stating that such incidents occur in “rotten areas” like Anderlecht and Molenbeek–while in the European quarter we ”have nothing to worry about.”
The latest shooting highlights that Brussels is no longer safe for residents, showing that violence affects the city beyond just the so-called “rotten areas.”
