Police ask for help finding person of interest in Rotterdam bike path shootings
Police in Rotterdam issued an urgent appeal asking the public for help identifying an individual who may have been involved in a fatal shooting on the Roelantpad bicycle path in the city's IJsselmonde district. The 58-year-old Rotterdam man was shot on Saturday evening and later died from his injuries. His killing was similar to another fatal shooting in the city exactly a week earlier.
A 20-year-old man from Amsterdam was arrested on Monday in connection with the two shootings. Police said on Tuesday that they do not believe the suspect is the gunman, but that he did play a role in the incidents. Neither of the two victims have a past history of crime, police said.
Surveillance footage shows the more recent victim walking across the Cornelis van Beverenbrug shortly before the shooting. Another man then walks behind him, gradually closing the distance between them. Police believe this individual may be involved in the incident and are seeking to identify him.
The victim was found critically injured around 10 p.m. on the bike path just past the bridge. Footage captured at approximately 9:50 p.m. shows the man walking from IJsselmonde toward his home in Beverwaard. In addition to the victim and the unidentified suspect, two cyclists are visible in the footage. Police are asking the cyclists to come forward.
One week earlier, someone on the Reyerdijk called emergency services at 9:39 p.m. on December 21 after they found a seriously wounded 63-year-old man. The victim had been shot and was "bleeding profusely," police said. First responders helped revive the man, but he died two days later at an area hospital.
Investigators noted several similarities between the two shootings. Both incidents took place on a Saturday evening, and in secluded locations in IJsselmonde. The victims in both cases were middle-aged men, with no known criminal ties. Authorities are urging anyone who recognizes the individuals in the footage or who has other relevant information to contact the police.
