Circumstances of fatal Purmerend shooting impossible to determine, lawyer claims

The events surrounding the deadly shooting on February 12 in Purmerend have become so unclear during the police investigation that the actual circumstances can no longer be determined. This included who fired the shots.

This was said by the lawyer of the leading suspect in the case, an 18-year-old from Amsterdam, on Monday during an introductory hearing before the court in Haarlem. There is no camera footage and "a whole bunch of contradictory and unreliable statements," the attorney said.

The shooting cost 19-year-old Aven Henok his life. A 19-year-old man from Medemblik was seriously injured. The violence is said to have stemmed from an ongoing feud between two rival groups of youths.

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) claims that they have evidence for the central and deadly role of the suspect. The prosecutor cited the suspect's conversations, which were tapped during his pre-trial detention in the detention center. According to the prosecutor, the man says that he took the weapon and "emptied the magazine." According to the man, he said in those conversations that he was innocent, he said in a sparse statement on Monday. The officer opposed the suspect's release, as his lawyer had requested. The court will decide on this on Tuesday.

Prosecutors are accusing the Amsterdammer of street robberies in Amsterdam and Bussum. The prosecutor admitted that a lack of staff and vacations have delayed the various investigations. "We are juggling many balls with too few people on our end."

The OM wants to bring four suspects to court in connection with the shooting in Purmerend. A preliminary hearing with all suspects will occur at the Schiphol Justice Complex on October 28.