Rotterdam holds anniversary memorial for victims in Rotterdam shooting spree last year

In various locations across Rotterdam, tributes were paid to the three victims of two shootings that occurred on September 28 of last year. At Heiman Dullaertplein, Marlous and her daughter Romy were remembered. The memorial for the two, who were killed in their own home, took place in a private setting.

Jurgen Damen, a general practitioner who was killed at Erasmus Medical Center, was honored at the hospital on Friday. A gathering on Saturday took place in Katendrecht in Rotterdam Zuid, near the practice where he worked. During the event, a bench with a plaque in his memory was unveiled, flowers were laid, and approximately 150 attendees participated in a moment of silence.

Fouad L., who was a neighbor to Marlous and Romy at the time of the violence, is in custody on suspicion of fatally shooting the woman and her daughter, as well as the doctor in a lecture hall at Erasmus MC. Prior to the incidents, the man had come into contact with the housing corporation Woonbron, police, prosecutors, and care agencies due to reports of alcohol abuse, animal cruelty, conflicts, and intimidation in the neighborhood. The trial against him is expected to begin in early 2025.

Outgoing Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb spoke about the care for individuals with mental health disorders in the Netherlands. He described the fatal shootings as a "terrible event" and addressed the challenge of securing people against "bombs that explode seemingly out of nowhere."

He added, "There are still thousands of people living with mental health disorders, some of whom undoubtedly should not live independently, but should be treated and supported in a facility."

He advised that, "we must continue to tell our leaders: think carefully about how we have structured mental health care in the Netherlands." The mayor also referenced last week's stabbing at Erasmus Bridge, where a 32-year-old German man from Rotterdam died, and a 33-year-old Swiss man was injured. Aboutaleb concluded his speech with a poem.