Dutch police on Sunday afternoon shot dead a 15-year-old boy inside a McDonald's in Capelle aan den IJssel, near Rotterdam. He was suspected of an armed robbery.
At around 16h30, police received a report of a robbery in Wisselspoor, not far from the scene, according to De Stentor. The suspect allegedly tried to steal a fat bike, a bicycle with wide tyres, while brandishing a firearm.
When officers arrived, the boy fled towards the McDonald's. There, he again pointed his weapon, according to police. Officers drew their guns and ordered him to surrender. When he attempted to flee, police opened fire.
One officer fired at least four shots at close range on the restaurant’s terrace. Emergency services tried to resuscitate the teenager, but he died at the scene. His identity has not yet been disclosed beyond his age. The firearm, which police confirmed was real, has been seized.
A second suspect was arrested in Wisselspoor, where the attempted robbery took place.
Several customers and employees witnessed the incident, including two teenagers who had just finished their meal when they heard the gunfire. "We saw blood everywhere," they said. "The police tried to close the wound, but he didn’t survive."
An employee who was on a break near the emergency exit also described what she saw: "Suddenly, boys on a fat bike arrived. They parked the bike near the door, and suddenly one of them pulled out a gun. He was standing just 50 centimetres away from me. That’s when I thought: 'Shit, I need to get inside.'"
