26 May 2014

Police hunt Jewish Museum gunman

10:25 am on 26 May 2014

Belgian authorities have released surveillance footage of the shooting at the Jewish Museum in Brussels which has left at least three people dead.

The footage shows a man in a baseball cap entering the museum holding two bags, then taking an AK-47 assault rifle from one of them and opening fire.

Belgian police appealed for witnesses to the attack.

Belgian police appealed for witnesses to the attack. Photo: AFP / BELGA / BELGIAN FEDERAL POLICE

An Israeli couple in their 50s and a French female employee of the museum were killed in the attack on Saturday. Unconfirmed reports suggest a fourth person has died from his injuries.

Belgian police are appealing to the public to help identify the suspect, who is believed to have parked a car outside the museum before entering, firing and quickly leaving the scene, the BBC reports.

Security has been stepped up at Jewish sites across Belgium in the wake of the attack.

Earlier, deputy prosecutor Ine Van Wymersch appealed to the "whole population to help identify this person".

The gunman "probably acted alone, was armed and well prepared", she said, adding that all options were open regarding a motive.

The victims were struck by bullets in the face or throat, the prosecutor's office said.

Several officials have said the shooting appeared to be an anti-Semitic attack.