Third boy present at fatal Amsterdam Nieuw-West shooting, police seek witness
Police have announced that a third boy was present at the shooting in Amsterdam Nieuw-West, which resulted in the deaths of two Syrian teenagers, aged 18 and 16. The boy in question was able to escape the shooting at the Piet Wiedijkpark unharmed on January 1. The police are seeking him, in part, to serve as a witness.
The three lived at an asylum seeker reception center (AZC) in Amsterdam. While earlier reports said the 16-year-old was also officially registered in Delft, updated information indicates that all three went to the same school and AZC. Both the victims were asylum seekers.
Sources have told Het Parool that the shooting came as a result of a conflict in Nieuw-West between Syrian youths and a Spanish-speaking group of men with a South American background. The police could not confirm this detail.
The same conflict is thought to have led to a stabbing at the high school Mundus College on December 19, leaving a 16-year-old Syrian student injured.
The suspects remain on the run. Police have launched a major investigation (TGO) and are asking anyone with information to report it, even anonymously. A sign asking for witnesses has been put up by police in Piet Wiedijk Park.
The incidents have led to increased police presence in Nieuw-West. Police and municipal authorities will set up a van on Pieter Calandlaan, allowing residents and possible witnesses to talk directly with neighborhood officers. Authorities stress that every possibility remains on the table in the investigation.
Nieuw-West has a comparatively large number of shelters for refugees and asylum seekers, including small housing units and facilities for unaccompanied minors. Around-the-clock supervision or care is not always available at these sites.
In recent years, Amsterdam has increased its shelter capacity and currently provides multiple temporary and permanent reception locations for asylum seekers and people with residence permits.
