One hurt in fifth Rotterdam shooting in six days

A man was wounded in a shooting on Groepstraat in Rotterdam on Monday night, the police said on Twitter. This was the fifth shooting incident in Rotterdam over the past six days.

The shooting happened around 9:00 p.m. The victim was shot in the legs, according to the police. He was taken to hospital. Two suspects were arrested. The police are investigating their involvement in this incident.

There were two shootings in Rotterdam during the early hours of Sunday morning. The police responded to Bergpolderstraat around 2:15 a.m. Two men sitting in a car were attacked by a group of men who had their faces partly covered. The driver of the car managed to flee into his home. The other man got out of the car and got into a fight with the attackers. He was hit on the head with a weapon. When he ran away, the attackers shot at him. He wasn't hit by any bullets, but had to go to hospital to have his head wound treated, the police said in a statement.

The police launched an investigation at the scene and found that the victim that fled into his home was also in possession of a firearm. He was arrested. The police also found narcotics in his home. The 23-year-old man is still in custody for further investigation. The police are still looking for the group of men who attacked the men in the car. Investigators call on witnesses to come forward.

At around 4:00 a.m. the police responded to Hollandsestraat after local residents reported hearing loud bangs. One resident went outside to look, and found two bullet holes in his front door. Responding officers found two bullet casings on the street. A short time later, officers pulled a car over on Slinge. They found a silencer on the two men in the car - a 21-year-old from Rotterdam, and a 24-year-old man whose place of residence is unknown. They were arrested and the police are investigating whether they were involved in the shooting. A 34-year-old man from Rotterdam was arrested in the neighborhood of the shooting. He was behaving suspiciously and could not identify himself, according to the police. He was taken to a police station and released after questioning. 

On Wednesday, December 20th, two men were assassinated on Rhijnauwensingel in the Rotterdam neighborhood of Beverwaard. The two victims were sitting in a parked car when a passing car opened fire on them. One victim died almost immediately, the Rotterdam police said on Twitter. Emergency services tried to resuscitate the other victim, but to no avail. He too died at the scene.

During the early hours of Wednesday morning last week, there was a shooting at Club BLU on Prins Alexanderlaan in the city. Dents were found in the club's door and multiple bullet casings were found in the street, according to RTV Rijnmond. No one was injured.

The police are investigating whether this shooting is related to three other incidents at the club in the days preceding the shooting. On Friday December 15th, a hand grenade was found in the club's parking lot. Early on Sunday morning, December 17th, someone through a firework bomb against the building. And on Tuesday, December 19th, the words 'war' and 'oorlog' were spray-painted on the club's door. 

Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb closed the club for at least two weeks after the shooting. A spokesperson for the mayor told AD that they will decide whether the club can reopen after the police investigation is done.