Hendrik Vyt

Background

Hendrik Vyt was a Belgian man known locally for his racist views. He had a reputation of a fanatical mercenary close to the extreme right. Marc Weber, an official of the heavily immigrant Schaerbeek district, said:

"had the reputation of a fanatical mercenary close to the extreme right."

A neighbour described how Vyt had behaved in the neighbourhood:

"It's likely that he had contacts with the extreme-right Flemish Vlaams Blok party," added Mr. Weber.

Rita François, a neighbour, said Vyt had been angry after Jean-Marie Le Pen was defeated in the second round of the French presidential election on Sunday. Rita François said:

"He said, 'It's not going well for [Le Pen's] National Front. We're going to have to do it ourselves,' "

Another neighbour said:

"This man terrorized the entire neighbourhood with his German shepherd dog," said a neighbour who asked not to be named.

The neighbour further stated:

"He insulted immigrants and bragged that he had relations in high places. There were several complaints made over his hatred for Arabs and for his threats,"

Marc Weber also said residents of the apartment below Vyt moved away because they considered him dangerous:

"I met people this morning who lived in the apartment below his [the same one occupied by the victims] who moved because they considered him a dangerous nutter."

A further statement attributed to Marc Weber concerned threats and complaints:

"There were several complaints made over his hatred for Arabs and for his threats,"

The offence

Hendrik Vyt shot dead two Moroccan neighbours, Ahmed Isiyasni and his wife Abiba El Hajji, who lived in the apartment below him. He also wounded two of their children, one seriously, out of their five children.

He then set fire to his own apartment and the building in Brussels.

Police said Vyt used a 9mm pistol.

Investigation

The Brussels prosecutor's office said a police patrol was sent to the building on Monday after complaints of a violent quarrel between Vyt and his neighbours, but no action was taken.

Marc Weber said responsibility would need to be established if the information was confirmed:

"If that's confirmed, it would be a tragedy and responsibility will need to be established,"

Firefighters called to the scene around 4 a.m. found the bodies of the couple and their two wounded children on the second floor.

A neighbour who tried to intervene was wounded in the leg.

Arrest

Vyt was killed in a gun battle with police. Police returned fire when Vyt shot from his window at their patrol cars as they arrived at the burning building.

Firefighters found Vyt’s badly burned body in his apartment.

Trial

In 1999, Hendrik Vyt was convicted of violence against a minor and served three months in jail.

Belgian television reported he was due to appear in court on another assault charge.

Sentencing

Vyt served three months in jail for the 1999 conviction of violence against a minor.

Outcome

Hendrik Vyt was fatally shot by police during a gun battle while the building was on fire.