At around 8 PM last night, a fatal stabbing took place in Rotterdam near the Erasmus Bridge.
The incident, which happened around Willemsplein, left one dead. The perpetrator and another person were left seriously wounded.
A trauma helicopter and several ambulances were called to the location, and both were transported to the hospital. The suspect has been arrested.
Here’s what we know
According to the AD, eyewitnesses saw the suspect swinging around himself with a knife, attacking people who were walking near him.
He was clearly out to make many victims, witnesses say, and he shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) as the incident was going on.
While police are taking this information into account, they cannot yet say whether they suspect this to be an act of terrorism.
The perpetrator stabbed his first victim in the parking garage under the bridge, and the second one after walking upstairs onto the bridge. The latter didn’t survive.
Overpowered by personal trainer
The situation was de-escalated by a man named Reniël Renato David Litecia, a personal kickboxing trainer who was training a client nearby.
Their session was suddenly interrupted when a man fell over the railing of the Erasmus Bridge while screams sounded in the background and people started running in panic.
With a stick he uses for training, Reniël went after the suspect and hit him in the face. He and other bystanders held the suspect down until police arrived at the scene.
The investigation is ongoing
The police have begun their investigation into the stabbing, but they have not yet made statements regarding the identity of the victims or the suspect.
The police are urging anyone who may have witnessed the events of last night to contact them.
The suspect will be further interviewed today, to get a more complete picture of events.
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