Dutch police: Teen killed in Den Hoorn was stabbed, not shot

A 16-year-old boy from Delft who died Thursday night in Den Hoorn was killed in a stabbing, not a shooting as initially reported, Dutch police said Sunday, citing findings from a two-day investigation. An 18-year-old suspect from Rijswijk remains in custody.

Police were dispatched around 9:40 p.m. Thursday to Spoorplaats, a park near Tramkade and Zuidhoornseweg and close to a sports park in Den Hoorn, Zuid-Holland, after the emergency call center received a report of a shooting. Officers found the teenage victim critically injured at the scene; he died there from his wounds.

After further investigation, police determined the injuries were caused by a stabbing. A police spokesperson said the initial assessment was inconclusive because the nature of the wound was not immediately clear. “Otherwise, we would have reported that earlier,” the spokesperson said.

The 18-year-old suspect from Rijswijk was arrested several hours later, at about 3:20 a.m., and remains detained under strict conditions. Police said they are being cautious about releasing additional details and do not rule out further arrests.