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One Man Blamed In Grenade, Gun Attack That Kills Several In Belgium

Rescuers evacuate injured people in Liege, Belgium, today, after a grenade and gun attack that killed at least three and injured dozens.
Reuters /Landov
Rescuers evacuate injured people in Liege, Belgium, today, after a grenade and gun attack that killed at least three and injured dozens.

Authorities now say a lone attacker who had recently been in prison on weapons and drug charges appears to have been responsible for a harrowing grenade and gun attack today in Liege, Belgium.

As of now, it's being reported that the attacker killed three people and wounded more than 60 before taking his own life.

Belgium's Sudpresse says authorities believe a man named Nordine Amrani,"launched several explosive devices" from above a crowded square and fired at the lunchtime crowd with an automatic weapon. At some point, it's believed, he then killed himself.

The attack brings to mind, of course, this summer's rampage by a lone gunman in Norway who killed 77 people during two attacks that started with a bombing in Oslo. That attacker, who psychiatrists have testified was insane, told authorities he is destined to take be a future ruler of Norway.

There's no word yet on whether authorities believe they know what motivated today's attacker.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.