Suspect in Brussels Attack Had Been Known to Belgian Authorities for Years

A 45-year-old man who gunned down two Swedish nationals on Monday night in Brussels and was shot dead by the police on Tuesday morning had been known to Belgian security services for the better part of the decade, Belgian officials said.

For the seven years leading up to his attacks on Monday night, which have been described as “terrorism” by the Belgian authorities, the man had left a trail of criminal activity and ample signs that he was radicalized, including reported suspicious behavior and prolific online posts on social media.

His case was finally to be addressed by the authorities in a meeting that had been scheduled for Tuesday. It was too late.

The Belgian attack was the second in a week in Europe, following the killing of a teacher in France, by extremists well known to authorities that have highlighted the failures of complicated and bureaucratic systems put in place after a wave of terrorism in 2015 and 2016. That system is now coming under renewed scrutiny as the authorities and citizens worry about a possible reawakening of radicalism in Europe because of the war in the Middle East.

Read more: New York Times