Amsterdam man arrested in Rotterdam bicycle path shootings that killed two
A 20-year-old Amsterdam man was taken into custody on Monday in connection with two separate shootings on bicycle paths in Rotterdam earlier this month. One person was shot in each incident, with both men later dying at a hospital a short time later. The two crime scenes are separated by a few kilometers.
"The police are definitely considering the possibility that the arrested man is not the actual shooter," the police wrote in an update. "The motive for the shooting incidents is also still unknown."
An individual walking on the Reyerdijk in Rotterdam came upon a seriously wounded 63-year-old man at about 9:39 p.m. on December 21. The victim was "bleeding profusely" from a gunshot wound. He was revived at the scene and taken to a medical center, but he died from his injuries at the hospital two days later.
Exactly a week after the first incident, passers-by again found an injured man at about 10 p.m. on December 28. He was identified as a 58-year-old man from Rotterdam. The victim was found on the Roelantpad, where first responders revived him. He died from his injuries soon after, police said.
Investigators did not state if there was a known connection between the victims and the suspect in custody. Further, it was not yet clear if the incidents were random, or if the victims were targeted.
Police reiterated their public appeal in the case, asking any witnesses to come forward with information about either shooting. They also asked anyone with camera footage, including video from dashcams and doorbell cameras, to contact the officers involved.
In most criminal cases in the Netherlands, investigators have three days after an arrest to bring their initial findings before an examining magistrate if they want to keep a suspect in custody. The magistrate can order the person held for up to 14 days before a more formal arraignment hearing is held in a district court.
