Gunfire broke out in the Brussels district of Molenbeek on Friday afternoon, prompting a police response near the Étangs Noirs metro station.

Officers from the Brussels West Police Zone were called to Rue Vandenperenboom at around 2 p.m. local time following reports of shots fired. At the scene, police recovered bullet casings and identified impact marks confirming that a firearm had been used.

Authorities said no injuries were reported. The Brussels public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation to identify those responsible and establish a motive. Forensic and ballistics experts were deployed to gather evidence and examine the circumstances of the shooting. No information about suspects has yet been released.

The incident comes amid growing concerns about security in parts of the Belgian capital. Residents in the Cureghem area recently sent an open letter to police urging stronger action against drug trafficking and gang-related violence.

According to official figures, 96 shootings were recorded in Brussels last year, eight of them fatal. Many cases have been linked to drug-related crime, often involving young people from migrant backgrounds with low levels of education, many of whom struggle to find work.