Five killed in grenade attack in Liege, Belgium

[Ulysses31]

RIP

Edit: what is it with all the missing capitals/pictures again?

Five killed 'including 18-month-old girl' and 123 hurt as career criminal hurls grenades into Christmas shoppers in Belgian city of Liege

* 15-year-old boy and 17-year-old girl also among the dead
* Killer named as Nordine Amrani, convicted sex attacker and drug dealer
* Attacker used a pistol, a rifle and hand grenades

five people died and 123 were injured when a rogue gunman lobbed grenades and shot into crowds of shoppers at a christmas market in liege, belgium.

The shoppers, many of them children, ran screaming for safety in the panic as the gunman, named as career criminal nordine amrani, 33, opened fire.

The dead included an 18-month old girl who lost her fight for survival in hospital this evening, the bbc reported . A 15-year-old boy, a 17-year-old girl, and a 75-year-old woman were confirmed as the other victims.

Police said tonight that the killer was a convicted sex attacker and drug dealer, who had recently been released from prison.

Panic: Shoppers flee after a gunman threw grenades into crowds of shoppers at a christmas market in liege, belgium

Victim: Medics treat one of the many injured in the grenade attack in liege as police search for what was initially believed to be a gang of gunmen


men, women and children fled down the streets of the city centre - some still carrying shopping bags - as ambulances and police descended on the area.

Reports said amrani used an fn fal automatic rifle, a belgian made rifle capable of firing 700 rounds a minute, a pistol and grenades in the attack.

In the initial chaos, reports said up to three men had taken part in the attack, but the interior ministry later confirmed only one was involved, adding the incident was not terrorism-related.

Amrani was on his way for police questioning when he attacked a crowd near a bus stop at place saint lambert, a central shopping square which is the site of the city's christmas market and its main courthouse. It was not clear whether he committed suicide or died accidentally.

Gaspard grosjean, a journalist for local liege newspaper la meuse, ran over to the square just after the attack, shortly after 12.30pm.

A body, thought to be gunman nordine amrani, lies on the pavement, close to a gun and full clips of ammunition. There were conflicting reports over whether amrani killed himself or was taken out by the police

A body on a roof overlooking the square in liege is believed to be that of attacker nordine amrani, a convicted sex attacker and drug dealer

Police officers surround a dead body at the place saint lambert square

Shoppers flee as police officers try to find the attacker. At least 75 people were injured

Fear: Armed police in liege on the hunt for the gunman


'we saw people with bullet wounds in their shoulders, their hands,' he said, adding that he had seen one dead body.

'i see people completely scared, people are crying, everyone is on their phones.'

belgian prime minister elio di rupo expressed horror at the attack and travelled to the city. The nation's king and queen also arrived on the city this evening to visit survivors.

Interior ministry official peter mertens said emergency medical teams were called in from as far away as the netherlands.

The broadcaster radio television belge francophone said during the attack that all buses had been asked to leave the city centre and all shops in the area were closed, some with many customers stranded inside.

It said police helicopters were flying over the city and a medical post has been set up in the courtyard of the palace of the prince bishops (the court house) located on the site.

Rescuers evacuate injured people at the place saint lambert square

Police warned residents to stay in their homes or seek shelter in shops

Emergency medical teams were called in from as far away as the netherlands

Belgium's King Alert II, centre, and his wife Queen Paola arrived in liege last night to visit the injured


police were on the scene quickly and sealed off the square. Tv images showed blood splattered across the cobblestones.

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 liege's annual christmas market which consists of 200 retail cabins and attracts some 1.5 million visitors a year.

'THIS GUY WAS WEAPONS MAD'

nordine amrani was a career criminal who was recently released from prison early for keeping an ‘arsenal’ of weapons in his cramped council flat, it emerged tonight.

The revelation will lead to critics of belgium’s notoriously liberal criminal justice system questioning why he had been allowed back on the streets.

‘this guy was weapons-mad,’ said a police source. ‘he knew his weapons inside out, and was always tinkering with them at home.

‘he came straight out of prison, got hold of more guns and hand-grenades, and went on the rampage.’

amrani was sentenced to just under five years in prison in september 2008 for keeping 10 complete firearms, and an astonishing 9500 gun parts in his flat, along with 2800 cannabis plants nearby.

Yet, just over three years later, he had been released and left unsupervised, allowing him to build up another arsenal.

Neighbours on amrani’s estate in the suburb of leige would often see him driving around in a white van – a vehicle which was found near the spot where he died.

The police source said amrani’s rucksack was ‘full of grenades’, with many remaining unused after he pulled the pins out of just three.

The source said amrani, who came from a north african immigrant background, also had convictions for drug dealing, handling stolen goods and sex abuse.

‘amrani was well-known to us, but was never linked to any terrorist group,’ said the source.

Prosecutor mrs reynders said: ‘at no moment in any of the judicial proceedings against him was there any sign of him being mentally disturbed.’

she said that he had been wearing military combat fatigues today. Referring to a judicial enquiry which has been launched, mrs reynders added: ‘the inquiry will determine whether he acted deliberately or whether the equipment he was carrying caused his death.’

Watch video here
read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-4-killed-75-injured-liege.html#ixzz1grngyoqc

 

[Vanilla Bear]

Heard that on the radio earlier today. If it's now already in Belgium you can tell it can happen everywhere!

 

[Thomas O'Malley]

It's a very sad story, but then again, exactly what I expected to happen on a short term.
This is the result of the so called democratical system in my country. Right wing parties win election after election and the left wing parties keep in blocking them to join the government. This time it took them over 500 days to make a new government. In the meantime criminals get free hand in this society. Because the left wing parties close their eyes because they know they need the immigrants to gain votes in the elections, otherwise right wing parties take over.
In Belgium we call it diper policy from the government, and now these left wing hypocrits are standing in the front line of the cameras to say how much they are sorry towards the families of the killed and injured people. This is Belgium at his best, sad to say, I know, but it is.

 

[Thomas O'Malley]

Death toll rises to 5. Last night a baby from 17 months old died on its injuries

 

[Ulysses31]

First picture of crazed gunman who hurled hand grenades at Christmas shoppers as police find body of cleaner he tried to rape dumped in his cannabis shed

* Death toll rises to six; with 125 seriously injured
* Victims: 18-month-old girl, two boys (15 and 17), 75-year-old woman
* Killer named as Nordine Amrani, convicted sex attacker and drug dealer
* Attacker used pistol, rifle and hand grenades
* Video shows stampede of shoppers trying to flee the gunman


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-hurled-Christmas-shoppers.html#ixzz1gVBGNGOf


Killer: Nordine Amrani murdered a cleaning lady in his rented flat before heading off on a bloodthirsty rampage in the centre of the Belgian city

 

[Rattrap]

This is the result of the so called democratical system in my country. Right wing parties win election after election and the left wing parties keep in blocking them to join the government.

I'm still getting used to this phenomenon, having come from the States which is far more close-minded and conservative on the whole than Europe. But I am noticing here that government after government is turning right-wing: just take a look at this map comparing Europe in 2000 and now.

Now, I'm all for fiscal conservatism and for less welfare states, but these right-wing governments often also have varying degrees of dangerous nationalism and xenophobia.

 

[Bonezstorm]

It's already getting closer to Germany

 

[GodsEmbryo]

RIP
I got nothing to say

 

[Ulysses31]

I'm still getting used to this phenomenon, having come from the States which is far more close-minded and conservative on the whole than Europe. But I am noticing here that government after government is turning right-wing: just take a look at this map comparing Europe in 2000 and now.

Now, I'm all for fiscal conservatism and for less welfare states, but these right-wing governments often also have varying degrees of dangerous nationalism and xenophobia.

People always blame 'foreigners' whenever a problem arises and can't comprehend problems from within, political parties exploit this as it's easier to blame people that don't look or sound like you for problems you are having. Fair enough immigration (whether legal or illegal) does come with it's fair share of problems but there are plenty of home grown culprits like dodgy MPs and reckless bankers that have put us in the dire situation we are in now, the media only blames the ones they want (probably 'buddies' with the others) along with immigrants and foreign nations. These nationalistic parties have a romantacised version of what nationalism really is (European countries have been diluted for centuries and the royal families across Europe are often not even ethnically/historically even from that country) and they can offer very little other policies other than isolation, no country in this increasingly global world we live in can survive in isolation, when buying goods only produced in your own country you'll pay a hell of a lot more and the quality may not even be as good if the speciality lies in another country. Countries need to work together and make some tough decisions on how to pull us all through, if one nation fails then the effects will be felt worldwide.

 

[Ulysses31]

The tiny coffin of Belgian killer's youngest victim is heart-wrenching focal point of memorial service for Liege dead

* 17-month-old Gabriel Leblonk was shot while in his mother's arms

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...killing-spree-Belgium-city.html#ixzz1gt8biaiA


Tragic: Baby Gabriel died at just 17 months after being shot in the back of the head while in his mother's arms


Harrowing moment: Cuddly toys sit on the tiny coffin coffin of 17 month-old-Gabriel Leblond, the youngest victim of the shooting and grenade attack in Liege, Belgium, as it is wheeled out after the funeral ceremony today


Tragic: Friends and relatives of 15-year-old victim Mehdi Belhadj carry his coffin outside Liege's Bressoux mosque

 

[georges]

It's a very sad story, but then again, exactly what I expected to happen on a short term.
This is the result of the so called democratical system in my country. Right wing parties win election after election and the left wing parties keep in blocking them to join the government. This time it took them over 500 days to make a new government. In the meantime criminals get free hand in this society. Because the left wing parties close their eyes because they know they need the immigrants to gain votes in the elections, otherwise right wing parties take over.
In Belgium we call it diper policy from the government, and now these left wing hypocrits are standing in the front line of the cameras to say how much they are sorry towards the families of the killed and injured people. This is Belgium at his best, sad to say, I know, but it is.

We face more or less the same problem in France where those damn ratass socialists want to give the right to vote for foreigners because they know they will lose sooner or later. Migrants from the Maghreb and North Africa came here in the 60's-70's to be the cheap labor used in the manufacturing plants but with the globalization, plants closed and went in other countries where the cheaper cost of labor allows ceos and the management to have better margins. Today the grand sons of these migrants have no will nor to integrate themselves in the society nor to adapt themsleves to it, all what they are interested in is being given free healthcare, social helps and an appartment and this without working. I have been called of the worst names and adjectives by saying that the europe was a failure and that every country and its citizens should remain sovereign on its soil.If being patriotic is bad and favoring his own citizens before immigrants is bad for someone, then he is definitely unworthy of his citizenship.

 

[georges]

People always blame 'foreigners' whenever a problem arises and can't comprehend problems from within, political parties exploit this as it's easier to blame people that don't look or sound like you for problems you are having. Fair enough immigration (whether legal or illegal) does come with it's fair share of problems but there are plenty of home grown culprits like dodgy MPs and reckless bankers that have put us in the dire situation we are in now, the media only blames the ones they want (probably 'buddies' with the others) along with immigrants and foreign nations. These nationalistic parties have a romantacised version of what nationalism really is (European countries have been diluted for centuries and the royal families across Europe are often not even ethnically/historically even from that country) and they can offer very little other policies other than isolation, no country in this increasingly global world we live in can survive in isolation, when buying goods only produced in your own country you'll pay a hell of a lot more and the quality may not even be as good if the speciality lies in another country. Countries need to work together and make some tough decisions on how to pull us all through, if one nation fails then the effects will be felt worldwide.

Socialism and far leftism have been the worst plagues ever and it is not by praising socialism that you will make things better. For many people socialism has been the equal distribution of misery. Being at the mercy of thbrussels banksters and bureaucrats isn't really reassuring. Just look at the damages made to the american car industry by trying to open the domestic market too wide. Protectionism is needed.

 

[Ulysses31]

Socialism and far leftism have been the worst plagues ever and it is not by praising socialism that you will make things better. For many people socialism has been the equal distribution of misery. Being at the mercy of thbrussels banksters and bureaucrats isn't really reassuring. Just look at the damages made to the american car industry by trying to open the domestic market too wide. Protectionism is needed.

I agree there needs to be a balance, whether you call it socialism or capitalism or whatever I think in our current forms of capitalism we see labour outsourced abroad and goods imported cheaply in which leaves the home population struggling. In terms of welfare I have no problem helping the genuinely sick or those actively looking for work, healthy adults should not spend their entire lives living off the state and women should not be rewarded with money and homes for having kids as single mothers, there are plenty of women here in the UK who have a kid just because single parents get priority when getting council homes whilst the rest of us singletons struggle to pay our rents/mortgage, helping mothers who have recently divorced or split up from partners is fine but purposely bringing a child into this world so you can get free money and free homes is wrong, I see those mothers treat their kids like shit anyway so when they grow up they won't contribute anything to society, I've seen it in both immigrant and indiginous families, we need to tackle those that contribute nothing to society but take whether they are migrants or not.

 

[Mayhem]

Where is the hue and cry for Belgium to get rid of their 2nd Amendment?

 

[GodsEmbryo]

Where is the hue and cry for Belgium to get rid of their 2nd Amendment?

Oh there will be just as the previous times something like this happened (although on a smaller scale). Everytime there will be people protesting this right to keep firearms and other who defend this right. Everytime the television screens will be filled with debates between politicians, documentaries and special programs with 'in depth information'. Everytime there will be a story about FN and the production of firearms, emigrants, poverty and economy, stories about prisons and the law. Everytime politicians will show their ugly faces on the media to tell their opinion on how this is a disgrace that would never happened if you voted for their party. And everytime it will be forgotten in a few months from now. Another pointless freak accident for the history books. Belgium sucks you know.