A police officer is seen on the scene of a shooting in Liege, Belgium. (Photo: Reuters)

Brussels (People’s Daily) – Benjamin Herman, 36, who recently shot and killed two police officers and a bystander in Liege, Belgium on Tuesday is now being classified as a terrorist, according to officials.

Prosecutors say that Herman was a radicalized lone wolf who had just been temporarily released from prison a day earlier after serving time for a drug offence. Belgium Interior Minister Jan Jambon said the gunman had murdered a former prisoner, whom he had met while in jail, the night before the shooting.

Reports say Herman’s first victim was Michael Wilmet, 30, a convicted drug dealer who was hit repeatedly with a hammer and killed on Monday. Lucile Garcia, 53, and Soraya Belkacemi, 45, were named as the two police officers killed in the attack. The fourth victim is Cyril Vangrieken, 22, who was studying to become a teacher, according to Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

Many elements point to terrorist motives for the act, federal prosecutors said, including the fact that Herman shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is the greatest in Arabic) during his attack.

"Another proof has to be understood as the modus operandi regularly shown on the internet by IS in their video messages: suggesting to attack the police with a knife and rob them of their service weapons," said Eric Van Der Sypt, spokesperson for Belgium's federal prosecutors.

The BBC reported that Herman asked the hostage he took during the attack if she was Muslim and if she was observing Ramadan. When she answered yes to both questions, Herman said he would not harm her.

Local media reports say that Herman may have been radicalized while in jail.

Herman had been in and out of jail since he was a teenager, according to police, and his criminal record included assault, robbery, and the sale of drugs.

According to the BBC, Belgium Justice Minister Koen Geens defended the decision to release Herman, saying it was intended to help him prepare for his full release scheduled for 2020. He said that Herman had been granted temporary leave numerous times before without incident.

"I feel responsible because I have responsibility for prisons," Geens said.

With Belgium becoming a hotbed of returning ISIS fighters, some locals expressed concern about the country’s security situation. Netizens from social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter called for more attention on prison management since Herman was released by authorities despite being a dangerous recidivist.