Two imprisoned for up to 4 years in Amsterdam shooting incident; 21 shots fired at home

The suspects of a shooting incident in the Rivierenbuurt neighborhood in Amsterdam, in which a Kalashnikov rifle was fired at a house 21 times, were given prison sentences of up to four years. The court in Amsterdam ruled on Thursday that two of the three suspects were responsible for the shooting on Vechtstraat in the early morning of August 26, 2020. One of them, believed to be the person who drove the convicted pair, was acquitted.

A woman, her son and a friend were in the house at the time. The son suffered minor injuries. His friend and mother were unharmed. They have said that they have no idea why their home was fired upon. It could have been much worse, the court said.

Damian L. (22) received the highest sentence of four years in prison, of which one year was conditionally suspended. "The suspect, together with another, was guilty of attempted manslaughter by shooting an automatic firearm at a house where people were located. The bullets from the automatic firearm went straight through the house into the garden," writes the court in the verdict. "Firing an automatic weapon at a house in the middle of the city evokes feelings of fear, insecurity and horror not only among the victims, but also among local residents."

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) had demanded a ten-year prison sentence against L., but the court was of the opinion that there was insufficient evidence to convict him of attempted murder, indicating there was a preconceived plan to take someone's life.

The court cannot determine who shot at the house, but concluded that L. was present on the Vechtstraat together with Amier S. (21) during the shooting incident. S. was 19 years old at the time of the crime. The court sentenced him on the basis of juvenile criminal law. He will be given eighteen months of juvenile detention, including six months of conditional probation. The Public Prosecution Service had asked the court to sentence him to ten years in prison on the basis of adult criminal law.

Co-defendant Denver B. (21), against whom eight years in prison had been demanded, was acquitted. He was the driver of the main suspects and, according to the court, was not aware of the weapon in the bag in the back of the car. The court was unable to determine that he knew that the house would be targeted in a shooting.

The shooting was the second to take place on Vechtstraat in a 13-hour period. Rap musician Denzel S., better known as Bigidagoe, was injured in that incident. At the time it was reported that S., who was 23 when he was shot, was a top associate of Joel H. He fronted rap group Zone 6 under the name Joey AK. Other members of Zone 6 were linked to international drug trafficking.

The home of Denzel S.'s mother was also shot at on August 27, 2020.