Rotterdam mayor Carola Schouten speaks to residents of IJsselmonde after shootings

The Mayor of Rotterdam, Carola Schouten, had conversations with the residents and officers in the IJsselmonde neighborhood where three men were shot in the last month. Schouten also signed the letter of condolences on Friday.

The mayor was joined by Chief Officer Hugo Hillenaar and police chief Fred Westerbeke in her visit to the Keizerswaard shopping center, which also has a community center. The center is set up as one of two support points for residents who have questions or concerns following the events.

One man told Schouten, Hillenaar, and Westerbeke that there are doubts in the neighborhood about whether the man who was arrested on Thursday is actually the person who shot the three victims. Before the suspect was arrested, the police had advised local residents to be alert on the streets and not to go to remote places alone. The police and the Public Prosecution Service made it clear during a press conference earlier in the day that they were convinced that they had arrested the right man.

Another man said that the people in the neighborhood want to go on with their lives after the events. "No talking, just action."

Schouten, Hillenaar, and Westerbeke also visited the shopping center Beverwaard. They spoke to law enforcement officers there. One of these officers spoke to the three about a palpable tension in the area. “And I am used to certain things as a former member of the military.” The meeting in the shopping center was closed to the public.