Fatal stabbing at funeral after family feud escalates; Suspect sought

Two people were stabbed, one fatally, when a family argument at a funeral service in Den Haag spiraled out of control Tuesday morning. Police say a 44-year-old resident of the city died, a 36-year-old man was wounded, and the suspect is at large following the 10:10 a.m. incident on Paardenbergstraat.

The man killed was the cousin of the person being laid to rest, Tahsin Çetinkaya told newswire ANP. "He actually had nothing to do with it," Çetinkaya said. "He saw the fight and wanted to calm things down."

Forensische Opsporing is op dit moment bezig met een uitgebreid onderzoek naar de dodelijke steekpartij in Den Haag: https://t.co/tITRMlja4S #Paardenbergstraat #Kempstraat pic.twitter.com/mEdtcE5XjI

— Regio15.nl (@regio15) September 17, 2019

Çetinkaya serves on city council as the leader of the Islam Democraten party. He is also the chairman of the Turkish-Islamic Cultural Foundation, where the service took place.

"Everyone involved are family of each other. You do not do this to each other. This is terrible," one witness told a reporter from AD.

Police initially said the suspect looks like he is about 50, and is bald with black facial hair. Cetinkaya said it was the suspect is of Turkish heritage, and that he is a brother-in-law to some family members at the funeral.

Of the suspect, authorities said, "The police is looking for the suspect whose identity is known."

He fled on foot following the stabbing, Cetinkaya said. The argument was a family issue, both he and the police confirmed.