Belgium shooting: Prisoner who killed three people in Liege 'also killed another person the day before' | London Evening Standard

Belgium shooting: Prisoner who killed three people in Liege 'also killed another person the day before'The attacker was killed in a shootout with police on Tuesday after stabbing two female police officersEPA

A man who shot dead two police officers and a bystander in Liege had already killed another person the day before the attack, Belgium's interior minister has said.

Jan Jambon told broadcaster RTL that the gunman, identified as Benjamin Herman, "also committed a murder the night before".

Mr Jambon confirmed that the victim was a former inmate who did prison time with Herman.

Herman is alleged to have killed the man on Monday evening by hitting him over the head with a blunt object.

Belgian Special Police at the scene of the shootingAP

He was eventually killed in a shootout with police on Tuesday after stabbing two female police officers, stealing their handguns and shooting them.

The two officers have been named as Soraya Belkacemi, 53, and Lucille Garcia, 45.

Police officers Soraya Belkacemi, left, and Lucille Garcia, right, were killed in the gun attackFacebook

He also shot dead a man sitting in a nearby car, named as Cyril Vangriecken, 22.

He later took a cleaner hostage before being shot dead by police.

Cyril Vangriecken, 22, was in his car when he was shot and killed by the gunmanFacebook

Tributes have poured in for the three people killed in the attack, with Liege police sharing an image of the two officers killed.

Colleagues of the two officers described them as “wonderful” women, mothers and policewomen.

Mr Vangriecken's father told BFMTV that his son was focused on his studies, adding: “My son was a perfect child. When I say perfect, it was perfect.”

The terror suspect had been jailed numerous times and appeared in national security documents, according to reports.

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Herman is also understood to have been on two-day release from prison for "family leave" when the attack took place.

He was due to travel back to his home town of Rochfort, just 40 miles from Liege, during his release despite prison officers branding him "extremely violent".

According to state broadcaster RTBF Herman, who was born in 1982, had a criminal record that included a number of convictions for theft, assault and drugs offences.