BRUSSELS, Belgium — A 20-year- old man accused of a day-care center stabbing spree was carrying a backpack of weapons and the addresses of three other nurseries when he was arrested, Belgian authorities said Saturday.
Prosecutor Christian Du Four said the man held in the fatal rampage Friday lived alone, was unemployed and had no criminal record or previously known mental problems.
Three judicial officials told The Associated Press that police found the addresses of the other nurseries after taking the man into custody. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the information was not being publicly released.
Du Four said the suspect wore a bulletproof vest under his clothing and had a knife, an ax and a fake pistol. He said police also found two other knives near the day-care center where a 9-month old girl, a 6-month old boy and a 54-year-old caregiver were killed.
Du Four said he would not comment on whether the suspect planned other attacks but said the weapons found in his backpack “point to premeditation.”
Investigators think the suspect entered the “Fabeltjesland” — Fairytale-land — creche about 10 a.m. Friday with an 8-inch knife and started stabbing and slashing the children. He had painted his face white with black patches around the eyes.
Dr. Ignace Demeyer, from Our Lady Hospital in nearby Aalst, said six of the 10 wounded children could be released from care over the weekend. Two adults also were hurt. All those hurt were in stable condition Saturday.
The prosecutor’s office in the town of Dendermonde, northwest of Brussels, said the man was charged with three counts of murder and lived in Belsele, a town about 12 miles north of Dendermonde.
Du Four said the suspect, whom local media have identified as “Kim D,” is refusing to cooperate with police after hours of questioning at a police station in Dendermonde where he is being held.
“The man has so far not admitted to anything and has refused to do so,” Du Four said at a news conference in Dendermonde. He added the suspect has been placed under judicial arrest and in custody until a court hearing expected Tuesday.
