Suspect arrested over Oisterwijk school threats and evacuation was known to the police

The 19-year-old man from Oisterwijk, who walked into a primary school on Willem de Zwijgerlaan in Oisterwijk in Noord-Brabant on Tuesday morning while possibly armed, was already known to the police. He will appear before an examining magistrate on Friday, who will determine whether he should remain in custody.

The incident occurred around 8 a.m. at De Coppele, a primary school in a town just east of Tilburg. Dozens of students were inside when the man walked into the building. He reportedly began making threats, claiming to be armed and to have planted explosives, which prompted the evacuation of the school. However, the police found no weapons or explosives either on the man or in the vicinity of the school building.

The suspect was arrested near the school at approximately 12:20 p.m. Police stated on Wednesday that he was unarmed at the time of his arrest and is currently in restricted custody, which means that he is only allowed to have contact with his lawyer. The suspect has a history of interaction with police. The police have not disclosed further details.

Mayor Hans Janssen, who spoke with the students and teachers, said they were deeply affected by the ordeal. "This event had a significant impact, also on the parents of the children,” he told Omroep Brabant on Tuesday.