The child was killed after a police patrol followed and intercepted a van containing 26 adults and four children, including Mawda, on a highway near the city of Mons in the early hours of Thursday morning. The prosecutor's office in the southern town of Mons said the investigation showed only one bullet had been fired "during a dangerous high-speed chase over 60 kilometers (36 miles)" and traced it to a police officer. “It’s a tragic event that everyone regrets, including the police officers … The shooter, whose intention was to stop the van, has been questioned and the examining judge is currently reviewing all the evidence before deciding whether to press any charges.”

Prosecutors initially refused to confirm whether Mawda Shawri had died after being shot in the cheek, saying instead she could have fallen ill or died as a result of erratic driving, but formally acknowledged the real cause of death after the autopsy results were released.
Belgian prosecutors admit that a 2-year-old child was killed by police during a high-speed chase with a van last week, after initially denying it.