4 Dead in Belgium Grenade Attack

Assailant threw grenades, fired guns into crowd
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 13, 2011 8:58 AM CST
Updated Dec 13, 2011 10:22 AM CST
2 Dead in Belgium Grenade Attack
Ambulances are seen at the scene of incident in Liege, Belgium, on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011.   (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

At least four people are dead in Belgium after a man armed with hand grenades and guns attacked a busy intersection in Liege today; local media is reporting that 75 were wounded. Initial reports indicated that there were multiple attackers, but police now say there was just one, identifying him as Nordine Amrani, who had recently been in prison on gun and drug charges, according to the BBC. He had been summoned for a police interview today on other charges prior to his alleged massacre.

Amrani allegedly threw the grenades into a crowded square from a nearby rooftop, then opened fire, killing at least three before committing suicide. A 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy died on the scene, and a 75-year-old woman perished later from her injuries, the Guardian reports. Others are in critical condition. "We saw four explosions," says a local journalist who was on the scene. "It was quite incredible. We saw one man on the roof who tried to kill people. This man killed himself with a grenade." (More Belgium stories.)

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