Reality TV Star Arrested for Attempted Murder in Belgian Drug Shooting

Yahya D. was arrested in Wilrijk by the Antwerp police, while he was driving a van that was identified by witnesses during the shooting on Gevaertlaan. The defendant was presented to the investigating judge on Friday, then placed in detention for attempted murder. He will appear this Wednesday before the chamber council.

The accused rejects these accusations. He denies having shot the victim and claims not to be involved in this shooting in Boom. According to the residents of the neighborhood where he lives, Yahya D. is not an aggressive person and could not have shot the victim. They describe him as a "kind and calm man who has studied." Moreover, the suspect is employed in an installation company and has also created two companies.

The local media Het Laatste Nieuws revealed on Monday that Yahya D. is one of the participants in the new season of Klopjacht, a reality TV show broadcast on Play4, in which strangers try to escape a team of detectives. Barbara Salomon, the spokesperson for Play Media, confirmed that the suspect is one of the participants in the show, specifying however that the show was recorded well before the day of the shooting.

"Before the start of each show, the producer subjects the candidates to a strict selection process. He met all the selection criteria, including a psychological test," Salomon explained, adding that the broadcast date of the show has not yet been set. "Let’s wait for the results of the investigation first to determine the impact of this case on the new season of Klopjacht," she concluded.