Suspect in Rotterdam killings arraigned Wednesday; Was to be evicted before shootings
Faoud L., the 32-year-old medical student accused of shooting and killing two adults and a child in Rotterdam on Thursday, will be arraigned on Wednesday, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) in Rotterdam said on X, formerly Twitter. L. was nearing a point where he was to be evicted from his home after falling behind on his rent, AD reported.
According to the authorities, L. gunned down Marlous and Romy at their home on Heiman Dullaertplein before going to Erasmus MC and killing lecturer and GP Jurgen Damen. SWAT teams arrested the man at the university hospital. Posts by L. on 4chan suggest that he killed the woman and child, his neighbors, for reporting him for animal abuse. Other posts on the platform indicated that he was far-right leaning, with extremist views.
Stefan Sleijfer, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Erasmus MC, released a statement on Friday, revealing that Damen had been a member of the university hospital’s examination committee. Earlier on Friday, Sleijfer said that the examination committee required L. to undergo a psychological assessment before they would allow him to graduate as a doctor. Another member was safely kept in protective custody, the medical center said.
L. has been in restricted custody since his arrest on Thursday. That means he is not allowed to have contact with anyone but the authorities and his lawyer. It also means that the authorities can’t reveal details about the case.
Fouad L. was to be evicted from his home
A month before the shootings, the housing association Woonbron was given permission in court terminate Fouad L.'s apartment lease, and to evict him. He had fallen behind in rent payments by nearly 3,098 euros, according to AD. From the moment a bailiff notified L., he would have had 14 days to vacate the premises, though he was not in court for the eviction hearing.
L.'s motives for the shooting have not been revealed, and it was not clear if the eviction played a role. He accused the victim, Marlous, of shooting videos of him torturing animals, which prompted the Public Prosecution Service to contact Erasmus MC to be wary about letting him complete his program. Messages he placed online blamed his neighbor and the medical center for his failure to start working.
Woonbron would not comment when contacted by AD. However, neighbor complaints were not limited to animal abuse. He was living in filthy conditions, and would often scream or laugh loudly, and could frequently be seen standing half-naked in his garden.
Crowdfunding campaign for family of two victims tops €115,000
A crowdfunding campaign for two of the victims, 39-year-old Marlous and her 14-year-old daughter Romy, has raised over 117,000 euros in three days. The GoFundMe was launched by friends of the family, who say that the money raised will go directly to the victims’ family.
The money is being collected to give care to Romy’s twin sister, her older sister (17), and her young brother (5). According to the family friends, Romy’s best friend witnessed the fatal shootings, managing to escape injury by hiding under a table.
