Incidents and Fatalities

Several people have been killed in twin shootings in the Dutch city of Rotterdam on Thursday, police said.

Gunman’s Actions

A gunman dressed in combat gear opened fire on a flat in the Dutch city, then burst into a nearby medical center. Fires broke out in both places but were later extinguished.

Police Statement

“The two shooting incidents in Rotterdam have resulted in fatalities. We will first inform family and relatives and will explain more later,” the city police said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

Elite Police Units and Suspect

Elite police units had burst into the hospital in the Dutch city searching for the suspect, who was armed with a handgun, authorities said.

The suspect is 32 and the motive for the attack is unknown, local news agency ANP said, citing police. He is suspected of carrying out both shootings and there is not a second shooter, police said.

Pictures from the scene showed people streaming out of the hospital, including medics and patients, as police in body armor moved in. Police helicopters buzzed overhead.

Medics in white coats wheeled patients out on stretchers and wheelchairs

Description and Eyewitness Accounts

Police had earlier said the suspect was wearing “combat style” clothes, was tall, with black hair and carrying a backpack.

“First there was a shooting on the fourth floor. Four or five shots were fired. Then a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the education center,” said a medical student cited by RTL Nieuws, who did not give his name.

“There was a lot of panic and screaming… I didn’t hear any shots, just the panic and that’s what I started to act on,” public broadcaster NOS cited another eyewitness as saying.

History of Shootings in Rotterdam

Rotterdam is often the scene of shootings, usually attributed to score-settling by rival drug gangs.

Authorities’ Response

Authorities were expected to hold a news conference shortly to give more details.

Previous Incidents in the Netherlands

In 2019, three people were shot dead on a tram in Utrecht, sparking a massive manhunt.

In 2011, the country was left shocked when 24-year-old Tristan van der Vlis killed six people and wounded 10 others in a rampage at a packed shopping mall.