Rotterdam Knife Attack Possibly Linked to Terrorism, Prosecutors Indicate – Reuters

By Charlotte Van Campenhout

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Dutch prosecutors announced on Friday that a knife-wielding assailant, who allegedly stabbed and killed a man while wounding another in Rotterdam on Thursday night, may have been motivated by terrorism.

The 22-year-old attacker initially targeted a victim in a parking garage beneath Rotterdam’s Erasmus Bridge before moving to the street, where he fatally assaulted another individual, according to local media reports.

He was eventually subdued by bystanders and law enforcement and taken into custody.

Prosecutors have charged him with murder and attempted murder with a terrorist motive. They stated, "Initial investigation shows the suspect was possibly driven by ideology," noting that the attacker shouted "Allahu Akbar," which translates to "God is Greater" in Arabic, several times during the incident. However, they also indicated that other motives could not be ruled out.

The deceased victim was identified as a 32-year-old man from Rotterdam, while the wounded individual is a 33-year-old man from Switzerland, according to the prosecutors.

The suspect is reported to live in Amersfoort, approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Rotterdam.

Witnesses revealed that a personal trainer, who was conducting an outdoor class, managed to knock the suspect unconscious using a broken squat stick, while other bystanders threw chairs at him. Eyewitnesses described the assailant as carrying two large knives and targeting individuals at random.