The lone wolf Belgian gunman who went on a murderous spree in the city of Liege, killing four people before turning a gun on himself, had a long criminal record and seemed fearful of returning to jail. As a shocked nation sought to understand the motives behind the carnage by 33-year-old Nordine Amrani, tearful residents of Liege laid wreaths on the city’s central Saint Lambert Square Wednesday, scene of the attack the previous day.
“It’s awful just being here, having to take the bus, after what happened,” said a woman on the square. The site was packed with Christmas shoppers and children just out of school when Amrani lobbed grenades at bus shelters and turned his assault rifle on the crowd. A 15-year-old boy died on the spot while a baby of 17 months and a 17-year-old boy succumbed to injuries in hospital.
Police early Wednesday also found the body of a cleaning-woman of around 40 in a shed used by Amrani to stash cannabis plants and an impressive collection of illegal weapons. “Nordine Amrani committed suicide with a bullet to the head,” Liege city prosecutor Daniele Reynders told a press conference.
