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BRUSSELS (AP) -- The man who killed four people in the Belgian city of Liege this week carried out an act of "terrorist murder" and likely intended to cause more carnage, prosecutors said Wednesday, as authorities tried to establish whether he acted alone.
Benjamin Herman, an inmate on a two-day prison furlough, attacked two female police officers from behind with a knife on Tuesday, stabbed them repeatedly, stole their handguns and shot them as they lay on the ground, officials said. Crossing the road, he shot to death a 22-year old passenger in a car. Herman then took a cleaning woman hostage at a nearby school. When police closed in, he ran out onto the sidewalk firing and police fatally shot him. Four officers were wounded. Officials confirmed that Herman had also killed a fourth person Monday.
He yelled "Allahu akbar," the Arabic phrase for God is great, several times during Tuesday's rampage, including when he ran out to face police the last time, prosecutors said.
Imaankaf Darifa, the hostage, told the Associated Press she tried to keep him away from the children at the school. "I told him: 'you are in a school here, you cannot come in a school, it is not right what you are doing'."
She said that when police ignored her request at the behest of Herman to leave, he threw his identity card out. Then, Darifa said, "he walked out, and I left. Then there was the guns and they killed him."
Prime Minister Charles Michel and King Philippe visited her in hospital, where she was being treated for shock.
"She was very courageous and perhaps, but this we will have to verify, she helped avoid more victims in the school," Interior Minister Jambon said.
The attack has shaken Belgium where police and military have been working overtime to guard public buildings for two years since coordinated suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and subway system killed 32 people and injured hundreds on March 22, 2016.