Mass shooting threat in Zaandam forces high school to close

A secondary school in Zaandam decided to remain closed on Tuesday after violent threats were made suggesting that a shooting could take place at the school on Tuesday. The threat was received by email at Pascal Zuid, a secondary school focused on vocational coursework. It was first seen on Wednesday night, and then a second threat was also reportedly discovered later.

The initial threat carried a subject line stating "julliezijnfucked," or "you all are fucked," in English, according to Hart van Nederland. It stated that an incident would send the school into hell precisely at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 4. The message said there will be "people lying on the floor with blood on them. Especially your teachers, haha." The message concluded to say the day is "gonna be the worst day of your life," before signing off with a salutation stating, "your best friend."

A local media outlet said a second threat was also distributed, featuring a photograph of a semi-automatic handgun alongside a handwritten note. The text stated, "I'm going to take down Pascal Zuid," and made specific reference to the school and students there.

"Last night a number of colleagues received a violent email with photos and threatening content," parents were reportedly told during an online meeting on Tuesday. "We are all shocked by this." The school reported the incident to the police, and kept close contact with investigators. A public relations firm told local media agency De Orkaan that the police did not advise closing down the school, despite the ongoing investigation.

"We are all very shocked," a spokesperson for the school told ANP. "That's why we keep the doors closed for a day to give everyone space to recover from this news." The school made attempts to provide coursework and lectures online for the students on Tuesday. The school said it expects to reopen on Wednesday.

Police told NH Nieuws that a criminal investigation was underway to determine who sent the threats. A spokesperson for the police told ANP that the threat itself is a criminal act regardless if the person responsible actually intends to carry out the violent crime.

‘De school gaat naar de kanker’, bedreiging Pascal Zuid – school gesloten https://t.co/S0eLhPRbuX

— De Orkaan (@DeOrkaan) April 4, 2023