Three people were killed in two shooting incidents in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, in the Delfshaven district and at the Erasmus Medical Centre, on Thursday afternoon. The shooter, a 32-year-old man, has been arrested.
Around 14:15 on Thursday, the Rotterdam police received a report of a shooting in the city's Delfshaven district. A man shot a woman and her daughter and set fire to the house on the Heiman Dullaert square, local media report.
The shooter then moved to the Erasmus Medical Centre (about 1.5 kilometres away), where he entered a classroom on the fourth floor and fired multiple shots at the 43-year-old lecturer. He then entered the hospital itself and started several fires.
The suspect, a 32-year-old man from Rotterdam, was arrested in the area of the hospital's helipad around 16:00. He was carrying a firearm and wearing a bulletproof vest.
The two victims at the Heiman Dullaert square were neighbours of the shooter: his 39-year-old neighbour died on the spot, her 14-year-old daughter died of her injuries in hospital on Thursday evening.
In the Erasmus MC classroom, he killed a doctor/lecturer who was teaching in the building on Thursday afternoon. Initially, police reported that it concerned a 46-year-old man, but later corrected this to 43.
The suspect is a 32-year-old man from Rotterdam who was known to the security services. The man, who also studied at Erasmus University himself, acted alone, the police said. Notably, the Public Prosecution Service had previously warned Erasmus MC about the suspect, according to a letter published by Dutch media.
Suspect was known to the police
As the Erasmus MC was planning to award the man a degree in basic medicine, the Public Prosecutor's warning letter stated that the man had "come into contact with the police and the judiciary system several times, which has also led to a conviction by the court in Rotterdam."
It is not clear when the letter was sent, or whether the Erasmus MC took action after the warning.
The Prosecution found far-right and Nazi images on the suspect's phone, as well as pictures showing people being stabbed to death, NOS reports. He also allegedly said in an interrogation that he suffered from depression and was addicted to alcohol.
It is currently unclear what the man's motive was. The relationships between him and the victims are also part of the investigation that has now been launched. On Friday, the suspect will appear before the examining magistrate for the first time and will be brought before the court on Monday or Tuesday.
"The dismay is great after the tragic events in Rotterdam this afternoon," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte stated on social media on Thursday evening. "My thoughts are with the victims of this violence, their loved ones and all those who have been in great fear. Many thanks to the people of the services for their actions and assistance at the scene."
