Mayor calls Erasmus Bridge stabbing "horrific"; Justice Min. praises "Rotterdam hero"

Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb called the knife attack at the Erasmus Bridge that left a local man dead, and a man from Switzerland badly hurt “a horrific situation.” Both he and Justice Minister David van Weel praised the bystanders who intervened. The suspect, a 22-year-old man from Amersfoort, already had a criminal record.

In a short statement, the Rotterdam mayor thanked the bystanders who intervened in the attack on Thursday evening. “That led to the arrest of the suspect. It must have been a terrible event for bystanders who were enjoying their evening. It is now up to the police to continue their investigation,” Aboutaleb said.

A personal trainer from the city who witnessed the stabbing knocked down the attacker and detained him, with the help of other bystanders, until the police arrested him.

“My thanks and compliments to the hero of Rotterdam,” Minister Van Weel said upon his arrival for the weekly Cabinet meeting, ANP reports. According to the Justice Minister, the personal trainer “put an end” to the “very violent stabbing” and prevented it from ending “much worse.”

The police confirmed to Rijnmond that the suspect, a 22-year-old man from Amersfoort, already had a criminal record but would say nothing further about the matter. Witnesses reported that the man shouted “Allahu akbar,” a phrase meaning ‘God is most great” used by Muslims in prayers. The police are taking that into account in their investigation into the man’s motives. Sources told RTL Nieuws that he was not on the intelligence services' radar.

Van Weel and Prime Minister Dick Schoof both stressed that nothing is known about the motive yet. “Of course, it does not necessarily have to be because of terrorist motives. It could also be because of psychological problems or a criminal background,” Van Weel said, according to ANP.

The authorities are investigating “what he said,” the Prime Minister said, adding that he “understood that it is possible he is a disturbed man.”

The killed victim was a 32-year-old man from Rotterdam. According to Rijnmond, he was a skater and attacked at the skatepark at the Erasmus Bridge. On Friday morning, some washed-away blood and the remains of bandages were still visible at the skate park, NOS reported.

The injured victim is a 33-year-old man from Switzerland. He was attacked at the entrance of Remastered, a space for art exhibitions under the bridge. The emergency services rushed him to a hospital after the attack. His current condition is unknown.

According to NOS, two cleaners were scrubbing away a large pool of blood at the entrance on Friday morning