Jewish museum of belgium shooting
- 2014 - 2014
Identification of the Source
Participation D3.5 Religious communities: analyzing and discussing religious polarization and extremism
Keywords
Antisemitism, Religious terrorism, Jihadism, Hate crimeDescription
The perpetrator, a French citizen of Algerian origin, opened fire at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels on 24 May 2014, killing four people. The case is an example of religious terrorism, hate crime and violent extremism.
Type of Crime
Hate crime, religious terrorism
Modus Operandi
The perpetrator used a Kalashnikov-type rifle and a handgun to shoot at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels on 24 May 2014, killing four people in less than 90 seconds.
He wore a baseball cap and sunglasses to conceal his identity and carried a camera to record his attack.
He had previously visited the museum's website from different countries, possibly to conduct reconnaissance.
He was arrested six days later in Marseille, France, where he was found with the weapons, a flag of ISIS and a video claiming responsibility for the attack.
He had fought in Syria with jihadist groups before returning to Europe and was radicalised by Sharia4Belgium, a Belgian Islamist extremist group.
People involved
Main perpetrator of the shooting at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels on 24 May 2014. He is a French citizen of Algerian origin who fought in Syria with jihadist groups before returning to Europe. He was convicted of terrorist murder and sentenced to life imprisonment
Accomplice of the perpetrator, who helped plan the attack and provided the weapons. He is also a French citizen of Algerian origin who met the perpetrator in prison. He was convicted of terrorist murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Victims - An israeli couple, who were the first two victims of the shooting. They were visiting Brussels as tourists and were killed at the entrance of the museum; a French volunteer worker, working at the museum's reception desk when the perpetrator opened fire; a Belgian employee of the museum who was the fourth and final victim of the shooting.
Criminal History
The perpetrator was involved in armed robbery, vehicle theft, vandalism and other offences since he was 13 years old
He spent five years in prison between 2007 and 2012, where he became radicalised by Islamist extremists
Influential and/or vulnerable Groups
The Jewish community in Belgium: They are a vulnerable group that has faced antisemitic attacks, threats and discrimination from various sources, including Islamist extremists, far-right groups and conspiracy theorists. The Jewish Museum of Belgium, where the perpetrator carried out his attack, is a symbol of Jewish culture and history in the country
The Muslim community in Belgium: They are a vulnerable group that has faced anti-Muslim hatred, hate speech and racial discrimination from various sources, including far-right groups, populist parties and media outlets.
The Belgian authorities and security services: They are an influential group that has the responsibility to prevent and counter terrorism, violent extremism and hate crimes in the country. They have faced challenges such as the lack of coordination, information sharing and resources among different agencies and levels of government.