Man shot in Saint-Gilles as Brussels police search for gunman
A man was shot in the leg in Saint-Gilles on Saturday evening and is not in a life-threatening condition, while police search for the gunman amid a series of shootings in the Brussels-South police zone.
In 30 seconds
- A man was shot in the leg in Saint-Gilles at about 21:15 on 22 August.
- The victim was reported to be out of life-threatening danger.
- Police were actively searching for the unidentified shooter.
- The incident followed an attack on a Brussels-South police building in Anderlecht.
Updated: 24 August 2026
A gunman shot a man in the leg at about 21:15 on Saturday, 22 August, at Place des Deux Bancs in , . The victim was taken for treatment and is not in a life-threatening condition, according to Mayor , as reported by BRUZZ and Belga. Police are actively searching for the shooter.
The shooting occurred near the junction of Rue Gustave Defnet and Rue du Monténégro, beside Chaussée de . BRUZZ reported that officers established a security perimeter and carried out forensic work at the scene. The Brussels prosecutor’s office has not publicly identified a suspect or established the precise sequence of events.
Spinette told Belga that investigators suspect a dispute involving drug dealers. That remains an investigative hypothesis rather than a confirmed motive. BRUZZ and Het Nieuwsblad describe Place des Deux Bancs as a known drug-selling location where residents and municipal officials have repeatedly reported dealing, intimidation and associated nuisance.
The attack came less than 48 hours after two masked people fired repeatedly at the former Brussels-South police headquarters on Rue Démosthène in . Police recorded 12 bullet impacts in a door, BRUZZ reported. The building was closed at the time and nobody was injured. The two assailants escaped on a scooter, according to police accounts carried by Het Nieuwsblad.
At about 07:00 on Sunday, another shot was fired near Porte de Hal in Saint-Gilles. BRUZZ reported that the bullet struck the window of a first-floor bedroom while the resident was in bed; she was not injured. Authorities have not established a connection between the incidents.
Where this is happening
View on map Saint-Gilles →The violence adds to a sustained citywide pattern. Federal police figures reported by BRUZZ and BX1 show that Brussels recorded 57 shooting incidents during the first seven months of 2026, leaving two people dead and 21 injured. The total for 2025 was 101 incidents, eight deaths and 43 injuries.
Spinette has requested additional investigators for the federal judicial police and more resources for the prosecutor’s office. He also said merging Brussels police zones would not, by itself, stop the shootings. Brussels public prosecutor Julien Moinil is expected to present an update on the recent violence; investigators must still determine the shooter’s identity, motive and any link between the attacks.
What to do
People in Saint-Gilles should avoid any active police perimeter, follow instructions from officers and use official police channels to report relevant information rather than approaching a suspected gunman. The victim was reported out of life-threatening danger, but the shooter remained unidentified. Residents and commuters should check local police or commune updates for any temporary access restrictions. There is currently no reported change to public transport, work arrangements or legal obligations, and investigators have not confirmed either the motive or a connection to other shootings.
Impact
Regional — The incidents affect the Brussels-South police zone, covering Saint-Gilles, Anderlecht and Forest, and intensify pressure on regional and federal authorities to reinforce investigations into armed drug networks.
EvidenceWell established · 1 primary source + 1 official document + 3 independent reporting sourcesExplore evidence →Hide evidence ↑
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Voices & reactions
What the main actors are doing
Reported positions, summarised — not direct quotationsSaint-Gilles municipal position
Mayor Jean Spinette argues that Brussels requires more federal judicial police investigators, stronger prosecution capacity and measures targeting drug networks. He says a merger of the capital’s police zones is not, on its own, an answer to armed violence.
Investigative position
Police and prosecutors have not formally established the motive or linked the separate incidents. Their position remains narrower than the mayor’s political assessment: identify the perpetrators, preserve forensic evidence and determine whether the shootings are connected.
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