De Vries’s son: “Our worst nightmare came true”

Peter R de Vries’s son Royce has voiced sorrow following the shooting which left his father fighting for life. Peter R de Vries, a top Dutch crime journalist, was shot in the head in the center of Amsterdam on Wednesday evening.

"Yesterday our worst nightmare came true. We as a family are surrounding Peter with love and hope during this difficult phase," Royce de Vries said on Twitter.

"Much is still uncertain, but what is certain is that all the expressions of support from across the country now provide tremendous support," he continued.

No update was provided on De Vries’s medical condition. The journalist was taken from the scene near Leidseplein to a hospital in critical condition.

Gisteren is onze grootste nachtmerrie werkelijkheid geworden. Wij als familie omringen Peter met liefde en hoop in deze moeilijke fase. Veel is nog onzeker, maar wat vaststaat is dat alle steunbetuigingen uit het hele land nu enorm veel steun bieden. De familie

— Royce de Vries (@Roycedevries01) July 7, 2021

An hour after the shooting, police stopped a silver Renault Kadjar on the A4 near Leidschendam, about 50 kilometers south of the crime scene. A 35-year-old Polish man living in Maurik, Gelderland, and a 21-year-old male, presumably Dutch, from Rotterdam were arrested in relation to the incident, the police confirmed on Wednesday. An 18 year old from Amsterdam-Oost was arrested Tuesday night, but was released from custody the next morning.

On Wednesday morning, presenter Marieke Elsinga announced on the radio show Mattie & Marieke that staff members at RTL Boulevard were concerned about Peter R. de Vries's safety. De Vries was a frequent guest of the program, and had just left the show’s production studio moments before the shooting.