Three sought in Amsterdam West killing of 25 year old

By Janene Pieters on May 13, 2015 - 11:52
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Black screens put up to close off the crime scene of the shooting on De Clercqstraat, Amsterdam (Picture: Twitter/@RobertFlos). (Black screens put up to close off the crime scene of the shooting on De Clercqstraat, Amsterdam (Picture: Twitter/@RobertFlos))

The police are looking for three people in connection with the fatal shooting on De Clercqstraat in Amsterdam just after midnight on Wednesday. The victim has been identified as a 25 year old man from Zaandam with criminal connections.

The police are looking for two dark skinned suspects that witnesses saw speeding away from the crime scene on a motorcycle or scooter, possibly one with three wheels. Other witnesses reported seeing a second person getting out of the victim's car. The police are also looking for this person.

The shooting incident happened around 00:15 a.m. on Wednesday. Witnesses reported hearing several shots fired. The victim, who died at the scene, was found next to a car. According to the police, it is still unclear whether the victim got out of the car himself, or if he was pulled out by the perpetrators.

A police spokesperson told Het Parool that it is unlikely that the victim was an innocent bystander, and not the intended target. Especially given that the second person seen getting out of the car has not made contact with the police yet. "It is hard to understand that the other passenger still stays away, even hours after the murder, if we are dealing with an innocent victim." the spokesperson said.

It is possible that the shooting was caught on tape by a surveillance camera. The manager of a store on the corner of De Clercqstraat told AT5 that the cameras in the store focus on the street. "We helped the police once before with images of a traffic accident. It could well be that the shooting last night has been recorded." A local resident also told Het Parool that a camera was installed last week at the Sisha lounge in front of which the shooting happened. This hasn't been confirmed.

Flying bullets also hit a passing tram, parked cars, a supermarket and two bank buildings during the shooting. The tram's window was shot to pieces, but no one in the tram was injured.

A burning quad bike was found on Hazelaarstraat in Noord at around 03:30 a.m. - about three hours after the shooting. The burning bike was found by patrolling officers. The quad bike has been confiscated for a trace evidence investigation. It is not clear whether this bike is connected to the shooting in anyway, but a burning getaway vehicle was found in most of the gang related shootings in Amsterdam lately.

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