World

Gunman Launches Grenade Attack at Belgium Bus Stop

UPDATE:

Authorities are now reporting the attack came from a single gunman armed with grenades and a rifle.

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LIEGE, Belgium (AP) — Several men armed with hand grenades and guns attacked a busy bus stop in eastern Belgium on Tuesday, killing at least two people and wounding about a dozen, officials and media reports said.

The attack left blood splattered across the cobblestones of the central area of Liege city, which was crowded with people doing Christmas shopping in nearby markets.

Footage from the scene showed people, including a large group of children, fleeing down the streets of the city center – some still carrying shopping bags. Ambulances and police vehicles descended on the area.

Officials and the media reports had no information about the identity of the two or three assailants or what could have motivated their attack. But the Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported they remained at large and police were telling residents to stay in their homes or seek shelter in shops or public buildings.

Another broadcaster, Radio Television Belge Francophone, said all buses had been asked to leave the city center and all shops in the area were closed, some with many customers stranded inside.

News reports said police helicopters are flying over the city and a medical post has been set up in the courtyard of the palace of the Prince Bishops court house located on the site.

Grenade Attack at Belgium Bus Stop

About a dozen people were reported to have been wounded.

VRT Radio spoke with Herve Taveirne from the courthouse into which he had fled to escape the gunfire.

“We were in the courthouse building and were just leaving when we saw someone toss a grenade,” Taveirne said. “I grabbed a little boy … and took him back into the courthouse. Outside the building I heard shooting … Our lives were in danger. This man was shooting in any direction. We ran for our lives at that point.”

The television channel La Une said a man with a Kalashnikov automatic weapon had opened fire on a bus.

The situation was chaotic, and reports were conflicting as to the number of assailants. Many news organizations reported that one of the dead was an attacker.

In Brussels, Interior Ministry official Peter Mertens confirmed the attack and said at least one or two assailants were involved and at least one person was killed and several were wounded. Emergency medical teams were called in from as far away as the Netherlands, Mertens said.

Phone calls to Liege authorities were not immediately answered.

The daily newspapers Le Soir and La Capitale reported that three assailants lobbed grenades into a crowd at the bus shelter and opened fire with guns. Belgian media reported that one of the attackers was apparently killed, a man believed to be about 40 years old. The daily La Meuse newspaper said an attacker had killed himself.

New reports said the attack began at about 12:30 p.m. (6:30 a.m. EST) when the men lobbed several grenades at the bus shelter in Place Saint-Lambert, a busy downtown square. The reports said witnesses reported four explosions and gun fire.

An unidentified man who was wounded in the attack told Belgium’s VRT television network that “someone threw grenades and fired shots.”

Police were on the scene quickly and sealed off the square.

Valerie Schaaps, a spokeswoman for the prosecutors office in Brussels, confirmed there had been explosions and gunfire, causing injuries.

Place Saint-Lambert is a busy crossroads. Every day 1,800 buses serve the square, which leads to downtown shopping streets. The Place Saint-Lambert and the nearby Place du Marche host the Liege’s annual Christmas market which consists of 200 retail cabins and attracts some 1.5 million visitors a year.

—-

AP correspondents Don Melvin, Gabriele Steinhauser and Robert Wielaard in Brussels contributed to this report.

Comments (38)

  • sasquatch08
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 2:35am

    As terrible as this is, it‘s pretty good evidence that gun control doesn’t work.

    Report Post »  
  • crystalinwi
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 7:22pm

    now it’s just one, lone, gunman . . . ummmm, yeah, this morning it was two or three, maybe more, and they were doing because of the honor killing trial going on at the courthouse there . . . no cover up, of course not, what? who us, no, we’d never cover anything up . . . just a single, nutjob, lone gunman who killed himself . . . .move along people, nothing to see here . . . .

    Report Post »  
  • mrsalvage2
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 1:12pm

    Militant Herbalists and Vegtarians Unite!

    Report Post » mrsalvage2  
  • thegreatcarnac
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 12:27pm

    Europe is in need of another Charlemagne or a King Arthur to lead them back from the pit of political correctness, multiculturalism, socialism and diversity. That leader will have to purge Europe of Muslims.

    Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 1:45pm

      So… you think… that Kings & Emperors… are not Fascists?

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • Lloyd Drako
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 4:03pm

      It occurs to me that the part of the Eurozone that might be worth saving is almost exactly coterminous with Charlemagne’s empire: Germany, France, the Low Countries, perhaps northern Italy.

      Report Post » Lloyd Drako  
  • MaxineH20Sux
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 11:43am

    Where are the names? I can guess it is Satanmuhamaad Al-Salamipepperoni ????

    Report Post » MaxineH20Sux  
    • AvengerK
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 2:02pm

      Here you go: UK Daily Mail…”The attacker, 32-year-old Nordine Amrani, who was a convicted sex attacker and drug dealer, also died.”. Amrani….need you say more?

      Report Post »  
    • Lloyd Drako
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 4:04pm

      He was evidently from North Africa, hence, persumably a Muslim. This of course does not mean the attack was motivated by religion, as he was some sort of career criminal. Out of nearly 140 casualties, it seems likely some were also Muslim.

      Report Post » Lloyd Drako  
    • par4thecourse
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 7:21pm

      I found this looking around. Obviously nothing to indicate violence.

      “The attacker is believed to be 33-year-old Nordine Amrani, who shot himself in the head after his rampage sent bystanders fleeing into nearby buildings
      Mr. Amrani was reportedly released early from prison this year because his crimes – which included possession of drugs and firearms – did not comprise of violence.
      Amrani was originally sentenced in 2008 to three to just under five years in prison and fined €11,000, according to the Belgian paper Le Soir. The weapons in his possession at the time included an AK47 and a rocket launcher.”

      Report Post »  
  • KangarooJack
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 11:00am

    Bus terminal – Courthouse nearby- 2-3 assailants (grenades & firearms) yet two people dead???? Any Drug Lord or Mob cases being tried? Was a witness scheduled to show?

    Report Post » KangarooJack  
    • robert
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 11:25am

      Belgium has imported hundreds of thousands of third world hordes to their country from Africa and Asia.

      They were warned beforehand of the dangers of trying to assimilate primitive, violence prone people and fanatical Muslims, but their “elites” decided they wanted a rainbow utopia, just as they have opted for in Europe, the US, Canda and Australia.

      This latest violence is the result of imposing their evil desires on the innocent citizenry. High crime is rampant everywhere these people reside and where there are populations of Muslims they are engaged in bombings and hateful protests decrying hatred for their home countries. In all cases they boast that their sharia law will prevail on the natives and they will soon take over.

      Civil liberties are being suspended throughout the West, because of these threats by these haters of America who come to live here in order to earn money and colonize.

      Belgium is just the lastest example of what this importation of third world hordes has brought the West. There will be many more until civil war is the order of the day and the citizenry themselves take to the streets to rid their countries of these evil malcontents and the elitists who are responsible for them being there.

      It won’t be long now. Be patient. We will win in the end.

      Report Post »  
    • KangarooJack
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 11:30am

      Robert-similar to what Wisconsin has done to itself by actively importing Somalians? Off the plane with housing, utilities, food, and jobs all lined up for them??? lol

      Report Post » KangarooJack  
    • AvengerK
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 2:07pm

      ROBERT…bingo..From the UK Daily Mail..”The attacker, 32-year-old Nordine Amrani, who was a convicted sex attacker and drug dealer, also died.”. Violent crime and illicit drugs have spiked in Europe since the unfettered immigration of muslims there both African and Middle Eastern. Rapes on Nordic women have gone up in Scandanvian countries- mostly committed by muslim immigrants. These are uneducated, lawless immigrants from African and Middle Eastern muslim countries. Life is cheap in their countries and they’ve brought the same mindset to Europe. If something isn’t done to address the unfettered immigration Europe will be muslim within a couple of decades.

      Report Post »  
  • convictobama
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 10:48am

    Dang right wingers at it again? Blowing up stuff? Hand Grenades? Musta been tea party?(Sarcasm)
    Wait for it… Oh a freakin Honor killing trial inside courthouse?
    Hmmm…. Maybe it was a Christian?
    Nah dang, it was a Muslim, now we wont know anything….They will say workplace violence.
    TSA dont profile.. it doesnt help(sarcasm)

    Report Post »  
  • Bigolfascist
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 10:16am

    The suspected shooter, Nordine Amrani, was found guilty of growing pot and 12 counts of illegal possession of firearms a couple years back. Nothing on his religion. Don’t make the assumption—–Wait for clarification or start googling for the info. The Norwegian shooter turned out not to be Muslim as first speculated.

    Report Post » Bigolfascist  
  • broper
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 10:00am

    I’ve lived in the Middle East, and spent countless hours discussing politics with young Muslim professionals and students. I’ve learned some frightening things. Islam is first a political force, and secondly a religion to young Muslims – we ignore that to our own peril. It crosses borders seamlessly, and unites all Muslims into a global force. A Muslim’s first loyalty is to Islam. Not to a country. Not to their family. Not to peace. Non-violent Muslims want the same thing that violent Muslims want. – an Islamic America – an Islamic world. No Muslim in this country will stand up to defend American interests, or American neighbors IF Islam requires them to act against the U.S. They are not interested in anything but our ultimate defeat. Sure they would prefer to simply overwhelm the West with population numbers, but they are never going to seek genuine peace. The Koran requires them to dominate the world, and our non-violent Muslim neighbors will join the battle when the time is right… and that time is coming.

    Report Post » broper  
    • mike_trivisonno
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 10:19am

      Indeed.

      Islamic Culture is and always has been the enemy of Western Civilization. They seek our destruction through Jihad.

      Report Post » mike_trivisonno  
    • lukerw
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 1:48pm

      The Caliphate… Islam… was always a Theocracy… of State & Religion combined… chartered for World Conquest!

      Report Post » lukerw  
  • blkbelt7
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 10:00am

    This is what the U.S.A. will look like next summer according to Obamas buddy Van Jones…Obamas army (occupiers) will be the soldiers…be to have enough water, food and ammo….ABO…(Anyone But Obama in 2012)

    Report Post »  
  • cloudsofwar
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:56am

    just more violence and death get used to it. another war is coming to the world and make ww2 look like a police action. if the euro collaspes that will kick it off. sides are begin drawn germany and france are against england right now because england won’t convert to the euro. i think the collaspe will happen before the nov 2012 election and will cause a stock market crash. what will BO do, who will he blame, we are in big trouble. i rather see it happen before the 2012 election than after.

    Report Post »  
  • Skee
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:50am

    I believe owning a gun in Belgium is illegal.
    How is it these guns and grenades were
    used in a massacre on Belgium soil.
    Obviously they’re gun laws need to be longer
    and better worded, that should stop
    the gun flow.

    Report Post » Skee  
  • BobtheMoron
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:44am

    There are no radical Muslims, only Muslims. They are all capable and willing to murder non-believers.

    Report Post » BobtheMoron  
  • NOTAMUSHROOM
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:36am

    Why was “Allahu Akbar” edited out of the story?

    Report Post »  
  • lukerw
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:30am

    Liege is… a French Oriented/Union/Socialist University… center!

    Report Post » lukerw  
    • RichNGadsden
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:47am

      Liege is located in the Walloon area of Belgium which if basically the French portion of the country. I lived among while stationed at SHAPE back in the mid eighties. While there I traveled around as much as I could. Visiting France and Holland quite a bit. I found the Walloon Belgians to be far more conservative than the French themselves. At least while I was there. The university is likely no different than many of those here in the U.S.A unfortunately. Have visited Liege a number of times and thoroughly enjoyed myself, and the food was excellent. I will not knock an entire area for the activity of a university’s staff, and students.

      Report Post » RichNGadsden  
    • lukerw
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 11:02am

      I lived in the Grand Duche for 10 years… and had many people of Liege work for me… and they were all… basically Communists!

      Report Post » lukerw  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:24am

    Wait, wait, dont tell me, thinking, thinking, thinking…… Ummm MUSLIMS??? right ???

    Report Post »  
  • fawlty
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:23am

    This is what Europe is coming to. This is what diversity and multiculturalism brings. Native Europeans are burdened with taxes to support a welfare state and can’t afford to have kids of their own. Meanwhile third worlders are invited in to sign up for all of the govt welfare programs so that politicians remain in power. Outright genocide on the native Europeans…….which really doesn’t count since they are white.

    Report Post »  
  • billvassos
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:23am

    Cowards….

    Report Post » billvassos  
  • williamberry1
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:21am

    More workplace violence?

    Report Post » williamberry1  
  • Corsair
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:19am

    Coming to a bus stop near you….
    It may take a few years before it happens, but it will happen. The radical Islamists are nothing if not relentless.

    Report Post » Corsair  
    • mike_trivisonno
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:31am

      It has already happened many times on american soil by muslims engaged in jihad.

      What is a “radical islamist”?

      And exactly when does an Islamist go from being just a regular Islamist to a radical Islamist? Are Islamists the same as radical muslims or are muslims and Islamists different but sort of the same. Are they radicalized missunderstanders of Islam or maybe hijackers of the religion?

      Cut to the quick.

      Muslims engaged in jihad in an effort to spread Islam and Sharia. War.

      Report Post » mike_trivisonno  
  • Sibyl
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:16am

    Linked to that certain ethnic group:
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/8953449/Belgium-grenade-attack-leaves-at-least-two-dead.html

    Report Post »  
    • Sibyl
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:20am

      This was not just any random bus stop.

      It was outside the courtroom where a (so-called) honor-killing case was going on and grenades were also thrown into the courthouse.

      What a sick, despicable misuse of the word honor.

      Thank GOD – JESUS redeems and restores TRUE HONOR!!!

      Report Post »  
  • lightfollowsdarkness
    Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:06am

    This is so, so sad :( What is this world coming to?!

    Report Post » lightfollowsdarkness  
    • mike_trivisonno
      Posted on December 13, 2011 at 9:37am

      It would seem that it coming, with great speed, to the altar of Allah that sits now in Mecca.

      But, no, there is no Jihad! And Allah is just another word for God.

      Poor Europe. the War Against the Muslims is approaching fast and furious.

      Report Post » mike_trivisonno  

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