Shooting suspect in Rotterdam had a difficult life and chose his victims
ROTTERDAM:
According to Dutch police and prosecutors, a medical student who is accused of killing three individuals in Rotterdam by shooting them had a history of psychotic behaviour and had been convicted of abusing animals. He also likely selected his victims on purpose.
The suspect’s motivation in the shooting on Thursday is still under investigation, according to prosecutors, but they acknowledged on Friday that they had previously informed the Erasmus University Medical Centre (EMC) of his troublesome behaviours.
The warning was taken seriously, according to EMC Chairman Stefan Sleijfer, who said in a statement that the suspect was not given a doctor’s licence until he passed a psychological examination and was found qualified to practise medicine.
The 32-year-old suspect’s name has been confirmed by police authorities as Fouad L., while Dutch privacy regulations prevent publication of his last name. On October 3, he is scheduled to appear before a judge, according to the public prosecutor’s office.
The suspect is being jailed on suspicion of shooting a 43-year-old doctor who taught at the EMC, where the suspect was a student, as well as a 39-year-old lady who lived close to his home and her 14-year-old daughter. All three perished.
Although the attorney for the suspect has not been made public,
The deceased doctor left behind a wife and child.
“That’s awful. Yesterday, I was unable to stop crying, my neighbour Roos Bonnier stated. That this level of excessive brutality is possible.
A letter from prosecutors to the EMC that was making the rounds in Dutch media was legitimate, according to the prosecutor’s office. It mentioned the suspect’s “psychotic behaviour,” alcoholism, and concerns from neighbours about how he treated animals. The date of the letter was obscured.
The letter stated, “I assume that the facts above will contribute to the determination as to whether the person concerned should be qualified for a general doctor’s diploma.
Since the incident, footage of students leaving and patients being removed from the Erasmus Medical Centre has been shown on Dutch television news.
On Friday, the hospital was open as usual, but there were no more medical classes.
Prior to being captured immediately after running from one of the hospital complex’s buildings, the suspect is also accused of starting fires that broke out at the woman’s house and at the EMC.
Hugo Hillenaar, the chief prosecutor in Rotterdam, stated on Thursday that the suspect had a history of run-ins with the law.
According to a 2021 story in the AD newspaper covering the case, he was found guilty of mistreating his pet rabbit. He was also accused of abusing his dog, fish, and birds, but no one was ever found guilty.
