JUSTIN: Police Shoot Dead Attacker Who Killed Two Fans During Belgium vs Sweden Euro 2024 Qualifier 

Police have shot and killed the man who gunned down two Swedish nationals in Brussels ahead of a Euro 2024 qualifier in the Belgian capital.

The 45-year-old Abdesalem Lassoued was shot by police in a cafe in the Schaerbeek neighbourhood, according to reports from the BBC and other media outlets.

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Panicked fans were reportedly locked inside the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels until 4am following the shooting of two Swedish supporters on Monday evening.

The match taking place between Belgium and Sweden was abandoned at half-time as those inside the venue were made aware of the unfortunate events that had taken place in Brussels city centre prior to the game getting underway.

According to Alexander De Croo, the prime minister of Belgium, the attack’s victims were singled out because of their nationality.

“The perpetrator targeted specifically Swedish supporters who were in Brussels to attend the match against Belgium.

“Two Swedish fans have passed away. A third person is recovering from severe injures,” he said.

The Daily Mail reports that people present at the King Baudouin Stadium were kept in check until early Tuesday morning as inquiries into what exactly happened and why were launched.

Reims manager Will Still, an Englishman by birth who was raised in Belgium, was present when the stadium was evacuated.

He told BFMTV while being advised not to head back out onto the streets: “We are still locked in the stadium, with no exit allowed. It’s a bit of a blur for everyone.”

Players and match officials were also held inside the ground, with Manchester United and Sweden defender Victor Lindelof supporting the decision to only allow spectators to leave once armed police were on hand to escort them through the doors.

He said: “Our security team handled it well and put us at ease.

“Belgium are already qualified and we don’t have the opportunity to get to the European Championship, so I see no reason to play.”

Sweden head coach Janne Andersson revealed that he and his players had asked for the match to be abandoned, saying: “When I came down for the break, I got this information. Immediately, I felt that it was completely unreal. What kind of world do we live in today?

“I came into the locker room and when the team started talking, we agreed 100 per cent that we didn’t want to play on out of respect for the victims and their families.”