THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A lone gunman carrying a bulletproof vest opened fireplace in an condo and a hospital within the Dutch port metropolis of Rotterdam on Thursday, killing three individuals, together with a 14-year-old woman, police mentioned.
The taking pictures despatched sufferers and medics fleeing the Erasmus Medical Middle in downtown Rotterdam, together with some who had been wheeled out of the constructing in beds. Others barricaded themselves into rooms and caught hand-written indicators to home windows to point out their location.
Police Chief Fred Westerbeke advised reporters that the shooter was a 32-year-old scholar from Rotterdam. He was arrested on the hospital carrying a firearm. His id was not launched, and the motive for the shootings was nonetheless underneath investigation.
He first shot and killed a 39-year-old girl and critically injured her 14-year-old daughter at an condo near the place the suspect lived, Police Chief Fred Westerbeke mentioned. Police mentioned the woman later died of her accidents.
The shooter then went to the close by Erasmus Medical Middle the place he shot and killed a 46-year-old man, a trainer on the educational hospital, the police chief added. He additionally began fires on the scenes of each shootings.
The identities of the victims weren’t launched.
The suspect was cooperating with police, Westerbeke mentioned.
“It was a black day,” mentioned Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima expressed their sympathy on social media. “Our hearts exit to the household and buddies of the victims of the violence this afternoon in Rotterdam,” the royal pair wrote. “We additionally consider all people who lived in worry throughout these horrible actions,” they added.
The Erasmus Medical Middle appealed on social media for individuals to not go to the hospital, however later mentioned it was reopening. It mentioned that every one appointments scheduled for Friday would go forward as deliberate.
There have been scores of small explosions and at houses and companies throughout Rotterdam this yr, blamed on rival drug gangs. There was no rapid suggestion that Thursday’s taking pictures was linked to the feuding drug gangs.