Multiple deaths in Rotterdam university hospital shooting: Dutch police

A gunman dressed in combat gear and wearing a bulletproof vest went on a shooting rampage at a house and a hospital in Rotterdam, killing a 14-year-old girl, her mother and a teacher.

Dutch police said they were still investigating the motive for the twin attacks on Thursday by the man dressed in combat gear, who also set fire to the hospital.

The man first burst into a house in the Dutch port city and opened fire, killing a 39-year-old woman and seriously injuring her 14-year-old daughter, police chief Fred Westerbeke told reporters. The girl later died of her injuries.

He then moved to a classroom at the Erasmus MC hospital, shooting dead a 46-year-old teacher before starting another fire in the facility, sparking panic.

Elite police stormed the hospital, as panicked medics in white coats flooded out of the building pushing patients in wheelchairs and on stretchers.

He was taken into custody shortly afterwards and chief public prosecutor Hugo Hillenaar told reporters the suspect was co-operating with police following his arrest.

"We cannot say anything about the motive of this terrible act at this time. The probe is still ongoing," said Hillenaar.

Ongoing probe

Police said the suspect, a student at the hospital, was already known to the authorities over a conviction for animal cruelty.

Authorities had earlier said he was wearing "combat-style" clothes, was tall, with black hair and carrying a backpack.

He was only thought to have possessed one firearm and there is no indication he had accomplices.

"It's unbelievable," said Rotterdam GP Matthijs van der Poel, cited on the Algemeen Dagblad website.

"Everyone is totally shocked by the events and is watching the news with horror. I'm afraid such things cannot be prevented," he said.

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

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

And 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.

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Source: TRT