Swedish teenager arrested over January 16 shooting outside Alphen aan den Rijn prison

A teenage boy in Sweden has been taken into custody in connection with the January 16 shooting outside the prison in Alphen aan den Rijn. The police confirmed the arrest after it was reported by Omroep West.

“We are cooperating with the Swedish police,” a spokesperson said. It is not yet clear whether the teenage suspect will be extradited to the Netherlands. The authorities also chose not to disclose his age or where he lives. Nieuws in Alphen has reported that the individual in question is a teenager from Örebro County, located roughly 200 km from Stockholm.

No injuries were reported from the shooting. Unconfirmed sources suggest the intended target was Christopher Z., who was on leave to work at the time. Z. had earlier received a six-year prison sentence for his role in the “torture containers case” in Wouwse Plantage, Noord Brabant.

The case revolved around a makeshift arrangement of shipping containers used to imprison and mistreat individuals. Six of the containers discovered in 2020 were soundproofed cells; the seventh was a "treatment room" featuring a dentist's chair with straps, pruning shears, and scalpels.

A vehicle in the parking lot was fired upon, and one of its windows was damaged during the incident. Police confirmed that Z. was not hit by any bullets, though he was transported to the hospital for care.

The incident occurred at approximately 6 a.m. in the parking lot of the Penitentiary Institution (PI) on Eikenlaan in Alphen aan den Rijn. Surveillance footage indicates that the alleged shooter encountered the target at a bus stop near the main entrance. The shooter fled the scene right after the incident and was pursued by police for a long time.