Belgium: Suspected 'terror' shooting kills three, including two policemen
What's the story
A gunman today shot dead two police officers with their own weapons before killing a bystander in a suspected terror attack in the city of Liege in Belgium.
Federal prosecutors said they had launched a terrorist investigation into the incident, which comes with Belgium on high alert after a string of attacks in Brussels in 2016 claimed by the Islamic State group.
What happened?
Shooter follows textbook drama, kill 2 cops, takes woman hostage
The carnage in Liege began around 10:30 am. The suspect attacked two policemen with a knife and used their own firearms to kill them.
He then opened fire on a 22-year-old man sitting in a parked vehicle.
He continued and entered Leonie de Waha school and took a woman as a hostage.
He came out firing on policemen, wounding several before he was killed.
Former prison inmate
Shooter released from prison yesterday, no known links to extremism
According to Belgian broadcaster RTBF, the shooter was released from prison yesterday and was only known for minor infractions with no known links to extremism.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel condemned what he called "cowardly and blind violence".
"All our support for the victims and their loved ones. We are following the situation with the security services and the crisis center," Michel tweeted.
All safe
All the children safe and unhurt
A major security cordon was set up around the area, while panicked parents came to collect their children from the school complex.
The Governor of Liege province said all the children and staff were safe and unhurt.
"They were cared for by staff and psychologists and high school students were cared for in a nearby park," said MP Julie Fernandez.
Information
Previous attacks
Belgium has been on high alert since the smashing of a terror cell in the town of Verviers in January 2015. The country was then hit by its own IS suicide attacks on Brussels airport and a metro station, which killed 32 people in 2016.