A police officer secures the area outside the King Baudouin Stadium after a shooting in Brussels, Belgium, October 16, 2023. (REUTERS/Yves Herman)

The suspect fled the scene after the shooting, triggering a massive manhunt. Belgian authorities confirmed that the suspect, who was shot outside a cafe in the Schaerbeek area near the centre of the city, died in a hospital from his wounds. Belgium’s interior minister said that an automatic weapon found on the “neutralized person” was the same as that used during the attack.

According to Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne, the attacker had been suspected of involvement in human trafficking, of living illegally in Belgium and of being a risk to state security. He was denied asylum in 2019. The man disappeared after his asylum application was refused so the authorities were unable to locate him to organize his deportation.

Police officers work after a police operation against a deadly shooting suspect, in Brussels, Belgium, October 17, 2023. (REUTERS/Yves Herman)

A terror alert for Brussels was raised overnight to level 4, the top of Belgium’s scale, indicating an extremely serious threat. The alert level for the rest of the country was raised to 3. Raising the alert level enabled Belgian authorities to increase police presence for better public surveillance, while also imposing restrictions on crowded events.

France will double the number of security agents at the Belgian border, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Tuesday, adding that security measures for France’s match against Scotland on Tuesday night will be strengthened. France raised its security alert to its highest level following a recent high school stabbing near the Belgian border that killed a teacher and injured three others.

Sweden is expected to elevate its security alert level which has been set to 4/5 since August last year due to threats from the Islamic State.