Three killed at Belgium day care centre

[philw]

People complain about how dangerous the world is with guns, mass shootings,  bla bla bla. Check this out,

very sad though
<http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/732725/three-killed-at-belgium-day-care-centre>

A 20-year-old Belgian man armed with a long knife and wearing face paint killed two infants and an adult in a rampage at a creche on Friday, officials said.

Ten children and two staff were wounded, some seriously, in the attack in the town of Dendermonde near Brussels, prosecutor Christian Du Four said as anxious parents gathered to identify the victims and injured.

The man, who had his face painted white with black around his eyes, rang the doorbell at the The Country of Fables day-care centre at about 10am.

After staff opened the door, he barged in with a 30cm-long knife and ran amok, slashing at some of the children as they lay in beds, officials said.

The suspect escaped on a bicycle but was detained nearby.

"The guy just went crazy," said Theo Janssens, the Dendermonde deputy mayor for social affairs. "There was blood everywhere, it was unbelievable, real carnage," he told AFP with tears in his eyes.

"He went straight for the babies and attacked them," Janssens said.

"The smallest ones were in their beds, they were probably asleep."

One child and one adult died at the scene while a second child later died from the wounds. Eighteen children were in the creche at the time, officials said.

Ten children, including the two most seriously injured, and two adults underwent surgery and were out of danger, a doctor, Ignace De Meyer, told reporters.

Parents gathered in the Dendermonde town hall and, with psychologists in support, identified the victims using photographs.

Du Four said the suspect entered the building by saying that "he had a question he needed to ask somebody".

"He quickly pulled out a knife and started using it on the children," the prosecutor added.

"He then went up to another floor and started doing the same thing again" he said. The man's face was smeared with white and his eyes were blackened, the prosecutor said.

Six women members of staff tried to put themselves between the attacker and the children. One was hacked to death and two others were wounded in the legs or shoulders, officials said.

The suspect quickly fled but was picked up by police a few km away, officials said.

"He didn't panic, yes, he was calm," a man who lived next to the creche told RTL-TVI television, describing the suspect as extremely thin and tall.

Du Four denied rumours that the suspect had escaped from a psychiatric ward or was high on drugs or alcohol.

The prosecutor refused to identify him except to say he was a 20-year-old Belgian from the region. He said the man has not spoken about the attack.

"There is enough incriminating evidence to bring him before the investigative magistrate and get an arrest warrant," Du Four said, adding that the murder weapon was found.

A woman at the day-care centre said that the man was not known to staff.

"We are horrified by the events. Our thoughts go out to the families and staff of the creche. Many parents are in a state of shock," Interior Minister Guido De Padt told the press conference.

The tragedy is one of a number of deadly attacks at schools or child care centres in Europe in recent years.

Belgium is still in shock over the case of a woman who cut the throats of her five children and a series of paedophile scandals.

"The country is in shock and sorrow at this horrible act of violence committed in a society that strives to live in harmony and peace with everyone," said Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy in a statement.

After the attacks, children were sent to different hospitals and parents' anxiety was increased as authorities could not immediately identify which child had been sent to each hospital.

"I saw a lot of parents and grandparents who were wondering what was going on," said one onlooker, Hilda Diercks.

"There was a bit of panic in the schools and the children didn't dare go home because they thought the guy was still on the loose."

the worse part though IMO  is i bet you never hear about this again.  Of course if a gun was used they'd never shut up about it.

[MikeBjerum]

Good one to hang on to for the debates.  All a weapon is is a tool that is used for either protection (defensive or offensive) or attack.  If it's not a gun it can be a knife, bat, frying pan, big stick, car, truck, airplane (where has that happened recently), bottle ...

Good thing he didn't have a gun 

[Pathfinder]

Magpul runs their pictures with quotes. One shows a bunch of tribal types in the Sandbox with the quote

"The enemy is anyone who can get you killed, regardless of whose side they are on".

[runstowin]

I'm sure these people are self righteously proud of their practice of being defenseless.

[Rob10ring]

the worse part though IMO  is i bet you never hear about this again.  Of course if a gun was used they'd never shut up about it.

Isn't that the truth?!

I saw that on the new last night. Horrible story. I don't know if anything would have stopped him, since the majority of "nurturers" don't prepare for violent attack. I'm glad most of us humans care somewhat about each other and just don't act like this idiot.

[Sponsor]

[Ocin]

Isn't that the truth?!

I saw that on the new last night. Horrible story. I don't know if anything would have stopped him, since the majority of "nurturers" don't prepare for violent attack. I'm glad most of us humans care somewhat about each other and just don't act like this idiot.

Probably not. As i understand it, he was determined to do damage, and lots of it. I don't think that anything, including the presence of firearms in the hands of trained individuals would have prevented him from doing what he set out to do.

I am as angry and upset as any of you, but I can't help but wonder, what has happened to him that got him so angry that he had to take it out on defenseless infants. 

[tombogan03884]

"The tragedy is one of a number of deadly attacks at schools or child care centres in Europe in recent years.

Belgium is still in shock over the case of a woman who cut the throats of her five children and a series of paedophile scandals."

What is wrong with these people ? Makes you think abortion should not only be legal, but retroactive as well. 

[Rob10ring]

Probably not. As i understand it, he was determined to do damage, and lots of it. I don't think that anything, including the presence of firearms in the hands of trained individuals would have prevented him from doing what he set out to do.

I am as angry and upset as any of you, but I can't help but wonder, what has happened to him that got him so angry that he had to take it out on defenseless infants. 

He may not have been angry at all. In this country, people like to jump to the conclusion that people who commit crimes like this because they are "sick" and that we should help them. I believe that there are different classes of violent criminals. There are a few who may be sick, there are the majority that are dumb people doing stupid or bad things, and then there are a few who may be truly evil. If this guy wasn't sick, he may have been one of the evil ones.

[twyacht]

The suspect escaped on a bicycle but was detained nearby.

Detained? They cant even say apprehended or let alone arrested?

Anyone bent on doing harm can use any instrument to do so, tragic story.

Well, since there is no death penalty in Europe, I hope he gets to be someone's special friend in prison.