A tragic incident unfolded in Rotterdam on Thursday when a gunman took the lives of three individuals. The assailant, a 32-year-old university student, commenced his deadly rampage by shooting a 39-year-old woman and her 14-year-old daughter in their residence. Tragically, the young girl succumbed to her injuries later at the hospital.

Following this horrifying act, the perpetrator set fire to the woman’s home and proceeded to the Rotterdam Medical Centre University Hospital. Inside the hospital, he entered a classroom and fatally shot a 43-year-old male teacher.

Law enforcement swiftly apprehended the gunman near the hospital, where he also ignited a fire. The motive behind these violent actions remains unknown.

The Rotterdam mayor, Ahmed Aboutaleb, expressed profound shock and condolences to the victims and their families, acknowledging the significant emotional impact this incident has had on the city’s residents.

Rotterdam’s chief prosecutor, Hugo Hillenaar, revealed that the suspect had a prior history with law enforcement, having been prosecuted and convicted for animal abuse in 2021.

Videos circulating online captured the tense situation, with police guiding students, some in medical gowns, to evacuate the premises as heavily armed arrest teams arrived at the scene. One video showed the assailant in handcuffs, dressed in what appeared to be combat trousers.

Authorities confirmed that there were no indications of a second shooter, though the city remains deeply shaken by this tragic and senseless act of violence.

Source: with agencies