Man convicted in failed shooting plot that left high school student dead in The Hague

The District Court of The Hague has handed 20-year-old Sonny W. a 14-month prison sentence, with two months conditionally suspended. Prosecutors said he had planned to shoot someone in the leg last February in Rotterdam, an attack referred to as a “legday.” The plan was allegedly to be carried out with a 16-year-old accomplice, who died earlier in a firearm incident at the Hofstad Lyceum in The Hague.

W. claimed he was hired only as a driver and sought quick cash, with the job reportedly organized through Snapchat. The court, however, found that he had a more active role: he collected a note containing an address along with a firearm alongside another person, conducted a reconnaissance, and stayed in contact with the client, who provided directions.

The verdict states that “the suspect’s actions demonstrate a complete lack of respect for the physical and mental well-being of others.”

The 16-year-old accomplice, Amin, died on February 6, 2025, after a firearm accident in the toilets of the Hofstad Lyceum high school at Colijnplein in The Hague. He was found critically injured, prompting a large emergency response that included a trauma helicopter.

R. de J., 27, from Katwijk, offered a reward to the teenagers involved in the “legday” in Rotterdam. According to prosecutors, the payment was 2,000 euros in cash, with the firearm included as a further incentive. He coordinated the plan through a 15-year-old intermediary and dispatched the 16-year-old and 19-year-old Sonny W. in February 2025.

The 27-year-old man received a six-year prison sentence on Monday for allegedly ordering the shooting. In a related case last November, a 15-year-old boy was sentenced to 290 days in juvenile detention, with 120 days suspended, and 100 hours of community service, for acting as the intermediary between the client and the shooters.

The 15-year-old, Rani G., recruited the shooters while serving as a logistical middleman, sending chat messages with instructions like: "Just really get him, man. In the leg.” Prosecutors also say he was involved in an attempt to smuggle drugs from the Port of Rotterdam.