Police say they are looking at various scenarios for a motive behind the shootings and have not ruled out terrorism.
Anti-terror police are investigating after three people, including two police officers, were shot dead by a man who had taken a woman hostage in Belgium.
The man was himself shot dead following the incident in on the Boulevard d’Avroy in the city of Liege in eastern Belgium.
A bystander also died after being shot, and two other people were wounded, police said.
The gunman took a cleaner hostage at a nearby school before police shot him.
Authorities said terrorism could not be ruled out and media reports said the man shouted Allahu Akbar – God is greatest in Arabic.
Catherine Collignon, spokeswoman for the Liege prosecutors office, said: “There are two dead policemen and two others injured.”
Interior minister Jan Jambon said the anti-terrorist crisis centre was monitoring the situation.