Suspected Gunman in Brussels Terrorist Attack Shot and Killed by Police

Authorities in Belgium say the suspected gunman in Monday’s deadly terrorist attack in the capital Brussels has been shot and killed by police. 

The suspect was caught Tuesday in the city’s Schaerbeek area.

Amateur videos posted on social media depict a man wearing an orange vest and riding a scooter drove down a busy street, pulling out a gun and opening fire on pedestrians.  The gunman then chased people into a building and resumed shooting before fleeing the scene.

Two Swedish nationals were killed in the attack, while a third was seriously wounded.

The suspected gunman has been identified as a 45-year-old Tunisian man who claimed responsibility for the shooting in a social media post, saying he was inspired by the Islamic State terrorist group. 

Sweden raised its terrorist alert system to its second-highest level in August after a series of burnings of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, resulting in threats of revenge from Islamic extremists.

Authorities say there was nothing to suggest the attack was linked to the current war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The crime scene was located just a few kilometers from a stadium where a soccer match between the Belgian and Swedish national teams was being held.  Authorities suspended the match at halftime and kept the 35,000 fans inside as a precaution for two hours.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse.
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