29 Sep 2023

Student gunman kills three in Rotterdam university shooting

8:30 am on 29 September 2023

By Piroschka van de Wouw for Reuters

ROTTERDAM - The police and fire brigade are investigating the building on Heiman Dullaertplein where a 32-year-old man shot a 39-year-old woman and her 14-year-old daughter. The perpetrator shot a 43-year-old man in a classroom of the Erasmus Medical Center. The three victims have died. ANP JEFFREY GROENEWEG netherlands out - belgium out (Photo by ANP MAG / ANP via AFP)

The house where a man shot a woman and her teenage daughter in Rotterdam. Photo: ANP via AFP

A gunman killed three people in the Dutch city of Rotterdam on Thursday, shooting a local woman and her daughter in their home then storming into a classroom of Rotterdam's university hospital and opening fire on a male teacher.

The 32-year-old suspect, a university student, shot dead a 39-year-old woman who lived in his neighbourhood, and shot her 14-year-old daughter. The girl died later in hospital, police said.

After setting the woman's house on fire, the gunman went to the Rotterdam Medical Centre university hospital, where he entered a classroom and shot dead a 43-year-old teacher.

The man was arrested near the hospital, where he also started a fire. His motive was unknown.

ROTTERDAM - The police and fire brigade are investigating the building on Heiman Dullaertplein where a 32-year-old man shot a 39-year-old woman and her 14-year-old daughter. The perpetrator shot a 43-year-old man in a classroom of the Erasmus Medical Center. The three victims have died. ANP JEFFREY GROENEWEG netherlands out - belgium out (Photo by ANP MAG / ANP via AFP)

Police and fire brigade are investigating the building on Heiman Dullaertplein where a man shot a woman and her daughter. Photo: ANP via AFP

"We have been shocked by a horrible incident. Shots were fired in two different places in the city. Many people witnessed it," Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said.

"Emotions in the city are very high. My condolences go out to the victims."

Rotterdam's chief prosecutor Hugo Hillenaar said: "The suspect was known to law enforcement and in 2021 he was prosecuted and convicted for animal abuse."

Videos posted online showed police instructing students, some wearing white medical gowns, to run outside as heavily armed arrest teams arrived at the scene. One video showed a man in handcuffs wearing what appeared to be combat trousers.

Police said there were no indications of a second shooter.

- Reuters