Hundreds attend silent march for young man shot dead during Vierdaagse festivities
Hundreds of people participated in a silent march in Rotterdam-Zuid on Sunday afternoon in memory of 18-year-old Jahfairel, who was shot dead during the Vierdaagse festivities in Nijmegen last week.
Participants dressed in white and carried white roses and balloons as they walked through the Charlois district, Rijnmond reported. Many people wore T-shirts with a photo of the killed boy. Some people carried banners with anti-firearm slogans like “love yes, weapons no” and “together against gun violence.”
The Rotterdam teenager was shot on Graafseweg in Nijmegen at around 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday. He died in the hospital a short time later.
The shooting happened just outside the festival area for the Vierdaagsefeesten, the festivities that happen each day after the Vierdaagse marches.
Jahfairel’s family has stated that the teenager was not killed in a targeted attack and died due to senseless violence.
Mayor Hubert Bruls of Nijmegen told ANP that the teenager’s death was not “random violence.”
The police are still investigating and have not said anything about a possible motive, beyond saying that the shooting did not seem to be related to the Nijmegen Vierdaagse.
An 18-year-old from Rotterdam was arrested as a suspect, but he has since been released. No other arrests have been reported.
