Victim in Leiden church center stabbing dies from injuries; Suspect on the run

One of three people stabbed at a community center in Leiden on Friday morning has died from their injuries. He was identified as a 66-year-old resident of the Zuid-Holland city, police said in a statement. Two other people were injured, one of whom was in critical condition on Friday afternoon. No arrests were announced by 3 p.m., but police later confirmed to media outlets that one person was detained about 700 meters away on Lammermarkt.

They could not confirm if it was the perpetrator involved in the stabbing at about 9:25 a.m. "For reasons that are still unclear, he stabbed the victims and then fled," police said. The severely wounded man was pronounced dead at the scene. The other two were transported to an area hospital.

The stabbing happened at the Diaconaal Centrum De Bakkerij on Oude Rijn, a facility run jointly by churches serving the area to provide assistance and fellowship to people in the area, particularly refugees, homeless people, those in financial problems, and others who could become more isolated from society. Other organizations also provide services from the building, including refugee assistance organization VluchtellingenWerk, and Straatpastoraat Leiden, which provides pastoral services for people living on the street.

One of the victims is employed by De Bakkerij and another is a volunteer, the organization's chair told Omroep West. The third victim works for an organization that is one of the center's tenants. It was not immediately clear which of the three had died.

The suspect fled the scene quickly after the 9:30 a.m. incident. He was initially described by police as having darker complexion with short hair and a beard, but this was later corrected to describing him as someone with a lighter skin tone. The suspect may also have had a head wound, police said. He was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, dark pants, and a black hat. "If you see the suspect, do not approach him yourself, but notify the police immediately via 112," police said.

“Maybe he was psychotic," an employee of the center told the Leidsch Dagblad. The employee speculated that the suspect could be a client from the center, and possibly a refugee. They have been through a lot, many traumas,”

Police said they were using all available resources to track down the suspect. Anyone with information or camera images from the scene should contact the authorities, police said.

Two witnesses who were inside the building were also provided with counselling services. The employee who spoke to the newspaper said late in the morning that there were many rumors, but little concrete information about the the victims and the extent of their injuries. "I know that my team leader has gone to the hospital, but not whether they are a patient."