Stabbing in front of Groningen city center coffeeshop leaves four hurt

A stabbing outside Koffieshop The Happy in Groningen left four people injured on Thursday morning. Three of the victims were rushed to the hospital, including one in critical condition, the Groningen police said on X. The police have a suspect in custody and are investigating what happened.

The stabbing happened outside the coffeeshop on Damsterdiep in the Binnenstad-Oost neighborhood of Groningen. The police and paramedics responded to the scene just after 9:00 a.m. They found the injured people at the scene.

One victim was in critical condition. Two others also required hospital treatment, the police said. The fourth sustained more minor injuries, and paramedics treated them at the scene.

The police are investigating what happened.

According to the local news site Sikkom, the municipality of Groningen closed the coffeeshop for a month in April after several violent incidents. Locals told the site that there have always been problems around Koffieshop The Happy.

“But in recent months, it has become more vicious,” a local said. “There are regular fights. The police recently even had to fire a warning shot, and it seems that the shop is a regular target for robbers.”