Suspect in fatal shooting of Rijswijk woman also accused of 4 attempted murders

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) in The Hague said a 57-year-old man currently in custody for the deadly shooting of a woman in Rijswijk is also suspected of four additional counts of attempted manslaughter. The woman’s 4-year-old child was at the scene at the time of the shooting on Friday evening.

The man in custody is suspected of murdering the 38-year-old woman. The alleged gunman is also accused of trying to kill the boy, and three other local residents, the OM said Monday.

She was shot around 5:45 p.m. in the entryway of an apartment building on Galjoenstraat. The woman died at the scene. The suspect, reportedly a neighbor, was still in the building at the time and was immediately arrested by the police. He appeared before a magistrate on Monday and was remanded into custody for at least 14 more days.

The child was "in the immediate vicinity of his mother when shots were fired," according to the Public Prosecution Service. The OM is not yet sharing how the three residents were involved in the incident. A spokeswoman says that "in the interest of the investigation, this is all we can share at this time."

According to broadcaster Omroep West, the victim’s son witnessed the shooting. The outlet also reported that the suspect is believed to be the victim’s neighbor, according to area residents.

The municipality of Rijswijk organized a community meeting about the murder on Monday evening. Mayor Huri Sahin called the incident a "horrifying tragedy" which "has had a tremendous impact on the Rijswijk community."

She also noted that "another murder of women" seems to have taken place in her municipality, alluding to other cases of femicide where a woman was killed by either a current or former relation, or someone pursuing them. Last year in June and November, two women were killed in Rijswijk by their partners.

“Together with the police and the housing corporation Rijswijk Wonen, I spoke with several local residents. The tragedy that unfolded yesterday has left everyone deeply shocked,” Sahin previously said on Friday.

Police are still investigating the case and seeking witnesses. People who saw the shooting are encouraged to seek out emotional support from the service Slachtofferhulp.