Clemenceau Metro Shooters Get 13 and 11 Years in Prison
The Brussels Correctional Court has sentenced two perpetrators of the brazen February 2025 shooting at Clemenceau metro station to 13 and 11 years in prison, bringing a high-profile case that exposed escalating drug-related gun violence in the Belgian capital to a close, as VRT NWS reported.
The Attack
On the morning of February 5, 2025, two men emerged from Clemenceau metro station in Anderlecht armed with military-grade weapons. The primary shooter, identified as Y.A., fired 23 rounds from an AK-47 assault rifle horizontally at head height toward rival drug dealers from the notorious Peterbos housing estate. One bullet pierced the window of a child’s bedroom in a nearby apartment, though miraculously no one was physically injured. The accomplice, Z.Y., carried an M4 assault rifle but did not fire.
The attack triggered an hours-long manhunt that shut down metro services across Brussels. According to BRUZZ, the shooting was one of the most striking gun incidents in Brussels in 2025.
The Sentences
The court sentenced Y.A., the shooter, to 13 years in prison for attempted murder, participation in a criminal organization, and possession of an automatic weapon. Z.Y. received 11 years on the same charges. The prosecution had requested 16 and 14 years respectively. A third defendant, a 70-year-old man who provided his home to hide the weapons, received a three-year suspended sentence.
The court found the intent to kill sufficiently proven for both young men, noting that the shots were fired from close range, horizontally, and at head height. Investigators recovered 24 shell casings and two military-grade weapons at the scene.
A Shooter on the Run
Y.A. was initially sentenced in absentia after cutting off his electronic ankle bracelet and fleeing. However, as VRT NWS reported, he was recaptured weeks before the verdict and was present in court for the sentencing.
Escalating Violence in the Aftermath
The Clemenceau shooting was the start of a wave of gun violence in the Kuregem neighborhood. The day after the attack, another shooting at the same location left a passerby seriously wounded in the leg. On February 15, a 19-year-old man was shot dead in what authorities described as an “absolute low point.” Four days later, 15 shots were fired at a house facade on Kliniekstraat, with unexploded Molotov cocktails left behind.
In response, police closed Clemenceauplein with barriers for ten months, installed speed bumps, tightened station controls, and temporarily closed one metro entrance. Police Zone South reported that the situation has since stabilized, but the area remains a strategic zone under high surveillance.
Broader Context: Drug Violence in Brussels
The case highlights a persistent and evolving problem. In 2025, a quarter of all Brussels shootings occurred in the Clemenceau hotspot in Kuregem. The Brussels South Police Zone registered 63 shooting incident files, 48 firearm threat files, and seized 96 firearms that year.
According to a BRUZZ analysis, gun violence is spreading beyond traditional hotspots. In the first half of 2026, 63 percent of shootings occurred outside designated drug hotspots, up from 46 percent in 2025. This has prompted calls from Brussels parliament member Benjamin Dalle (CD&V) for a revised strategy, including the creation of a Brussels drug commissioner to coordinate a more integrated response.
Community Impact
Local residents say the neighborhood continues to suffer. Jens Popelier, a member of the “Respect Kuregem” community committee, described the area as “the cesspool of Brussels” and said children cannot play outside. “You’re constantly on guard as soon as you step outside your front door,” he told VRT NWS.
City coordinator Tijs De Geyndt of beweging.net acknowledged progress but noted that the neighborhood’s high poverty and unemployment rates make it vulnerable to criminal recruitment. Community initiatives, including a recent neighborhood cleanup, are bringing hope, but residents say more support is needed from all levels of government.
What’s Next
While the sentencing closes a chapter on the Clemenceau shooting, the broader challenge of drug-related gun violence in Brussels remains. With gun violence spreading beyond traditional hotspots and a new drug commissioner position being established, authorities face the difficult task of adapting their strategy to a rapidly evolving threat.
Residents report that shootings continued as recently as late June 2026, indicating that despite police efforts and today’s convictions, the underlying issues driving the violence have yet to be fully addressed.