Illegal vape shop behind shooting of father, son on Rotterdam balcony

An illegal vape shop is allegedly behind the shooting of a Rotterdam man and his 15-year-old son on their own balcony earlier this week. A neighbor became so fed up with the crowds and litter caused by the vape shop that the boy ran from the balcony, that he shot them, neighbors told AD.

Road workers who have been working on Rousseaustraat in recent weeks told AD how they saw hordes of young people appear in front of the victims’ apartment every day. The sellers served their customers with a trash grabber. “The box went down, the money went up. It was really busy,” one told the newspaper.

Flavored vapes have been illegal in the Netherlands since January last year. The ban has given rise to a vibrant illegal trade.

According to the victims’ neighbors, the boy had been selling vapes via Snapchat for months. “Most customers were around 12 or 13 years old. They often came around 3:00 p.m., when schools came out,” a neighbor said. According to the neighbors, the crowds and litter led to frustration in the neighborhood.

On Wednesday evening, father and son were standing on their balcony when they were shot from the street. Both sustained serious injuries and are still in the hospital. Local media reported that the police found around ten bullet casings on the street.

The police are aware of the neighborhood theory that a fed-up neighbor shot the boy and his father. “We are including that scenario in the investigation,” a police spokesperson said.

The police arrested two men shortly after the shooting, aged 55 and 56 and from Rotterdam. They are still in custody.

Housing corporation Havensteder, owner of the rental property involved, told AD that it received no reports of illegal vape shops in recent months.