A massacre prevented? The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office announced this Saturday night that an “attack” was probably thwarted in La Panne, on the Belgian coast. An armed man was arrested near the theater that hosted the Miss Belgium 2023 election at night.
At around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, a man in his 40s was arrested “very close by” in possession of a firearm, said Eric van der Sijpt, a spokesman for the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office. The latter adds that another firearm was later discovered in his car.
“We are not saying anything at the moment about the motivations, that will be investigated,” but “we probably prevented an attack,” added Eric van der Sijpt, according to whom hundreds of people were expected for this event.
Denounced by a member of his entourage
The first arrivals at the event scheduled for 8:30 p.m. were prohibited from entering the theater until the police could inspect the premises, the Belgian agency reported. However, the ceremony was able to take place, starting about an hour late.
According to Flemish media, the suspect was driving a rental car from the province of Limburg (east) where he resides. A person close to him would have notified the police, allowing the arrest.
Source: BFM TV
