Woman, child killed in ‘racist’ Antwerp shooting

11 May 2006 (fourth update)

BRUSSELS — Racism appears to be the motive of a street shooting in Antwerp in which a man shot and killed a black woman and a child on Thursday, the public prosecution office said.

A second woman, of Turkish origin, was critically injured in the shooting and a responding police officer shot and injured the culprit.

The woman who was killed was working as an au-pair. She was taking care of a Caucasian child, who was also killed in the shooting. Both died at the scene.

The Antwerp public prosecution office later said the shooting appeared to be racially-motivated. The arrested suspect was described by authorities as an 18-year-old skinhead with extreme-right sympathies.

The man had no links with the victims and had no criminal record.

A witness told news agency Belga that the culprit was dressed in black and had long hair, which was shaved off at the side. The man also had a “heavy calibre” rifle with him.

At about 11am, the witness was talking with a friend in the Lange Koepoortstraat when another man approached them. The man passed between the witness and his friend and continued walking.

The black woman and a child were walking along the street some 10m further along. The culprit than opened fire on the woman and then the child.

The witness said there was absolutely no reason for the shooting.

The culprit casually kept walking, but then turned around to the witness and his friend, who ducked for cover behind a corner.

The shooter was then shot in the stomach by a police officer who was in the area by chance. The suspect was taken to hospital. He is under police guard and will undergo questioning.

Police also told the witness during his statement that the culprit had already shot another woman before shooting the woman and child.

The first victim was reading on a street bench on the Pottenbrug, a small city square. She suffered a collapsed lung and is in a critical condition. She is not in a life threatening condition, however.

[Copyright Expatica News 2006]

Subject: Belgian news