Shots were fired on the public highway on the night of Wednesday 26 to Thursday 27 June 2024 at 00:49, near the Astoria café located on rue de l’Argonne in Saint-Gilles according to the Belgian police.
Three people were injured while two others lost their lives. They are probably Cameroonians: JB a 44 year old man and a 46 year old woman. According to several testimonies collected by the Camer.be editorial staff, the shootings were linked to settling of scores in the drug world. A cafe terrace was targeted by the perpetrators of the shootings. The injured individuals as well as those who were fatally injured were not involved in the case according to our sources.
Hot spots in the heart of the European capital
The area where the tragedy took place is known to be one of the epicentres of the sale of narcotics and other prohibited products in Belgium.
This area, located not far from the Midi International Station, is also home to several cafes run by Cameroonians.
The authorities can’t take it anymore
Disappointed, Jean Snette, the Mayor of Saint Gilles, speaking to the media after the tragedy, described this area as “a district with populations in great poverty who are subject to all kinds of exploitation”.
According to the dangerousness criteria determined by experts, this district is one of the 19 hotspots in the Belgian capital identified for drug trafficking.
Suspects are still on the loose
No suspects have yet been arrested. According to Fortuné Kaptuè Sando, a witness who lives in the neighborhood and who experienced this tragedy, “there were 4 bodies lying”.
The Belgian police and courts have opened an investigation to elucidate this tragedy. As part of this investigation, investigators are looking for video surveillance images (surveillance cameras, dashcams, doorbell cameras or any other image capture) which could have filmed the perpetrator(s) before, during and after the events.
People who may have witnessed suspicious behavior or who may have witnessed the events in the rue de l’Argonnne are also asked to contact the police via the email address [email protected] or by telephone on the free number 0800/30.300. Discretion is assured.
