Suspect accused of targeted assassination in McDonald’s murders

The shooting in a McDonald's in Zwolle earlier this week was a targeted assassination, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) said on Friday. Two men were killed. The 32-year-old suspect is accused of two counts of murder. He will be arraigned later on Friday.

The shooting happened at the McDonald's restaurant on Floresstraat in Zwolle at around 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Eyewitnesses told local media that the perpetrator ordered food, went to sit at a table near the victims, and then shot them dead. Various media sources identified the victims, aged 57 and 62, as brothers who operated multiple restaurants in the Zwolle area.

The suspect was arrested late on Wednesday evening after he turned himself in at a police station in Deventer. He comes from the Arnhem area, the OM said. Based on his statement to the police, the authorities believe that the shooting was a targeted assassination. "The police and OM are unable to provide further information at the moment. The suspect is still in restricted custody. This means that he may only have contact with his lawyer," the OM said.

The magistrate of the Overijssel court will arraign the suspect on Friday and determine whether he will stay in custody.

Zwolle is holding a community meeting on Friday afternoon at the Lumen hotel on Stadionplein for everyone who witnessed the shooting and wants to talk about it, mayor Peter Snijders said. The meeting is from 3 to 6 p.m. "We also know that many people panicked and left their belongings behind in the restaurant. They can pick these up on Friday afternoon."

Victim support is available for those who need it. "My thoughts go out to the relatives and everyone who had to experience this horrible event, including many children. I wish them all a lot of strength with the processing," the mayor said.