"Wild wild west" shooting at Sparta stadium in Rotterdam leaves one seriously hurt

Gunshots rang out were fired near the entrance of the Sparta stadium on Huygensstraat in Rotterdam early on Wednesday morning. A 26-year-old man from Rotterdam showed up at a local hospital with multiple gunshot wounds a short time later. The police arrested him and are investigating what happened, the police said.

Locals living near Het Kasteel counted about 15 gunshots, they told Rijnmond. "It's really bad. A wild wild West. I'm very shocked," said one area resident speaking to Rijnmond. "They hit that car, and that one," she said. Several parked cars were damaged, with photos from the scene showing broken windows.

The police received reports of multiple shots fired on Huygenstraat just after 1 a.m. Witnesses said they saw two cars speed away. A car dropped the wounded man off at the nearby Erasmus MC hospital and left him there.

The victim is a 26-year-old Rotterdammer who was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. A police spokesperson told Rijnmond that the man was “seriously, but not mortally injured.” The police are investigating his involvement in the shooting.

Another resident said that he had just fallen asleep when he heard a series of five shots, followed by another series, and another. "After that it was quiet for a while. Then a few shots were fired, but that did not happen in succession."

He added that the municipality seems to "cram all disadvantaged people with low incomes into one district. This district has deteriorated considerably again. People no longer greet each other. Crime has risen considerably. It is a real shame."