Two gunmen on scooter fire heavy weapons at Anderlecht police station

Nighttime shooting on Demosthenesstraat

On Friday night, two unidentified individuals opened fire on the entrance of a local police station on Demosthenesstraat in the Brussels municipality of Anderlecht. Emergency services in the Brussels-Midi police zone received the first emergency calls regarding active gunfire at approximately 23:40, with units dispatched to the scene by 23:44. The perpetrators fired multiple rounds from what authorities and local officials described as heavy firearms, leaving several visible bullet impacts across the facade and main entryway of the building. Following the discharge of weapons, both suspects fled the scene together aboard an electric scooter. Local police services confirmed that neither officers nor civilians were injured in the attack.

Forensic investigation and search for suspects

Immediately after the gunfire, responding police officers cordoned off the surrounding area on Demosthenesstraat and established an operational security perimeter. The Brussels public prosecutor's office opened a formal investigation, deploying magistrates alongside crime scene technicians from the federal police forensic laboratory and an appointed ballistics expert. Forensic specialists spent the overnight hours inspecting the bullet impacts and gathering physical evidence to determine the exact type and caliber of the firearms used by the assailants. The security perimeter was lifted later during the night after initial on-site examinations concluded. Both shooters remain unidentified and at large, with no arrests reported as of Saturday morning.

Operational status of the Demosthenes facility

The targeted building previously served as the central headquarters for the Brussels-Midi police zone, which covers the three Brussels municipalities of Anderlecht, Saint-Gilles, and Forest. Most intervention, administrative, and control divisions relocated to a newly built central facility near the Brussels-South railway station on rue des Deux Gares, which was inaugurated in December 2025. Although the Anderlecht municipal administration plans to sell the Demosthenesstraat property as it is gradually vacated, several specialized police teams continue to use office space within the complex. The station was closed to the public at the time of the shooting, though police spokespersons did not confirm whether department personnel were inside when the shots struck the exterior.

Retaliation motive and regional security response

Police leadership connected the armed attack directly to recent law enforcement pressure in the district. The Brussels-Midi police chief stated that the shooting appeared to be an act of retaliation following intensive operations carried out across the zone during the summer months, which yielded numerous arrests and contraband seizures. The police chief noted that the judicial prosecutor had been briefed on the incident, describing the situation as unacceptable for both the force and the prosecutor's office. In response to the threat, the Brussels-Midi zone announced immediate plans to strengthen physical protection around its police stations and requested operational reinforcements from the federal police.

Fabrice Cumps, the mayor of Anderlecht, confirmed that municipal authorities are in direct coordination with police command to heighten protective measures for law enforcement personnel across the area.

All my thoughts go to the police forces who are once again directly targeted and subjected to intolerable pressure. Faced with these acts, we will never waver in our determination. For now, our priority remains clear: to protect those who protect us.