21-year-old man dies after shooting in The Hague's Laak district; police hunt suspects
A 21-year-old man, identified as Titas, died on Friday night after being shot in the Laak district of The Hague. The shooting occurred shortly before 8 p.m. on the Paets van Troostwijkstraat, near the intersection with Oudemansstraat. The victim, who had been shot multiple times, was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries a few hours later, AD reports.
Upon arriving at the scene, emergency responders found Titas with gunshot wounds to his side and upper legs. Local reports indicate that bystanders, including individuals sitting at a nearby café, attempted to help him. One person used a tea towel to fashion a makeshift tourniquet to try and stem the bleeding from his legs. However, the severity of the injuries left little hope for survival, as the wounds were to his upper legs, where the major arteries are located.
The victim’s family, originally from Lithuania, has lived in the Laak district for 14 years. Titas, the oldest of three siblings, had recently earned his taxi driver certification and was in a relationship. His father, who works as a project coordinator for an international company, arrived at the crime scene around 10:30 p.m., shortly after his son’s death, to see where his son had taken his last breaths. “He is my blood,” the father told AD, expressing grief over his son’s tragic end.
According to reports, a white car at the scene showed signs of damage, with a bullet hole on the side door and blood splattered on the exterior. Witnesses near the café believe the victim was sitting in the front passenger seat of the car before the shooting occurred. After the incident, the victim collapsed across the narrow street in the grass, where bystanders attempted to help before emergency responders arrived.
Despite efforts to save him, including not waiting for an air ambulance and rushing him directly to the hospital, the young man was pronounced dead after a few hours. He was going to turn 22 in June.
The police are still searching for one or more suspects involved in the shooting. Authorities have deployed various methods to locate the perpetrator, including roadblocks, aerial surveillance by helicopter, and officers stationed at key locations around the city, including highway entrances and exits.
Neighbors have expressed shock, describing Titas as a “good guy” who was well-known in the area. The father has rejected the suggestion that his son was involved in any criminal activity, including drugs, emphasizing that his son was simply “a good boy” who did nothing wrong.
