- According to police, three people were killed in two attacks with a firearm in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam.
- The police have arrested a suspect, a 32-year-old student.
- He is also said to have set fire to a clinic. According to the police, the fire is under control. The background to the incident is still unclear.
In the early afternoon, shots were fired in an apartment in the west of Rotterdam, as police chief Fred Westerbeke described. The man shot a 39-year-old and seriously injured her 14-year-old daughter. She later died from her serious injuries. According to initial findings, the man then set fire.
The alleged perpetrator then drove to the nearby university hospital. There he opened fire on a 46-year-old lecturer in a lecture hall, who died as a result. The suspect then set fire to the clinic.
The police moved out quickly. Two helicopters were in use, as were special forces. A short time later, the suspect was arrested on the helicopter platform at the University Hospital. Some departments of the clinic were evacuated. Doctors, nursing staff, students and even patients stood horrified in front of the building, as could be seen on TV images.
It was initially unclear why the man picked up the gun. Initial investigations revealed that he lived in close proximity to the woman and 14-year-old who were killed.
Convicted of animal cruelty
He was wearing military combat clothing and a bulletproof vest, Police Chief Westerbeke said. He was himself a student at Erasmus University. But it was initially unclear whether he had lessons with the slain lecturer. As of 2021, he had a criminal record for animal cruelty. He is scheduled to appear before the judge on Friday.
Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb expressed his condolences to the victims’ families. “We were shocked by a despicable act.” Prime Minister Mark Rutte was also horrified. The royal couple expressed their condolences to the relatives and victims. “We also think of everyone who was in fear during these terrible acts,” the couple said.