Man suspected of killing 2 people before Belgium vs Sweden game shot & arrested

A man suspected of shooting two people dead before Monday's Euro 2024 qualifier between Belgium and Sweden has been arrested.

The suspect was shot by police and the weapon believed to have been used by the man has been recovered, according to multiple reports.

"It seems indeed the suspect has been neutralised," the Belgian capital's mayor Philippe Close told BFM TV.

Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden said Tuesday that "we have the good news that we found the individual".

The match was abandoned at half-time by UEFA after the incident which is being described by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo as a "brutal terrorist attack".

Belgian authorities have raised the terror alert to its highest level in the capital.

"Last night three people left for what was supposed to be a wonderful soccer party," De Croo said.

"The perpetrator targeted specifically Swedish supporters who were in Brussels to attend a Red Devils soccer match. Two Swedish compatriots passed away. A third person is recovering from severe injures," De Croo said.

The shooting took place around 45 minutes before kick-off and three miles (5km) from the stadium. It is unclear if the victims were in Brussels to watch the game but reports said the pair were wearing Swedish football shirts.

The score was 1-1 at half-time when the game was suspended and fans were told to remain in the King Baudouin Stadium "until security permits them to leave".

Fans chanted "All together, All together," with thousands from both sides also shouting "Sweden, Sweden!" as they waited inside Belgium's national stadium. The 35,000 supporters were eventually allowed to leave in groups just after midnight local time. The gunman, however, remains on the loose.

After the game, Sweden coach Janne Andersson confirmed they were told about the incident at half-time and decided not to continue with the match. He said: "Everyone was very sad and all the players agreed not to continue with the match."

Manchester United and Sweden defender Victor Lindelof added: "We discussed the remainder of the match with the team and the Belgians. The conclusion was not to play anymore. The most important thing is that the supporters are safe now."

A post from the Swedish FA on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, read: "Keep calm and take care of each other. Our thoughts go out to all the relatives of those affected in Brussels."

The Belgian national FA also wrote: "Our thoughts are with all those affected."

'Belgium terror level raised to highest level'

Sky News' Adam Parsons in Brussels:

"This is a city in a state of shock right now. At about quarter past seven here, a man in a hi-vis orange jacket went into a building armed with a Kalashnikov rifle and shot dead two people with at least one other person injured.

"The man hasn't been caught yet. The police are still looking for him. The terror level in Belgium has been immediately raised to the highest possible. People are being told to stay at home and France have tightened their border controls out of fear.

"There are videos on social we are not yet able to verify reportedly by this person saying that they claim allegiance to Islamic state and specifically saying they've killed Swedish people."