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🇳🇱 Netherlands /Crime & Justice

New arrest made over Overasselt violence as memorial for shooting victim is canceled

From NRC Handelsblad · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Dutch police arrested a 26-year-old Belgian man in Amsterdam in connection with fatal violence in Overasselt, while 32 of 34 previously arrested suspects remain in custody.
  • A 51-year-old security guard was shot dead when a group of heavily armed men passed through the village; two police officers were also wounded in later shootings.
  • A memorial at Nijmegen student association Carolus Magnus was canceled for security reasons, although police said they had issued no negative advice.

Police have arrested another suspect over the deadly violence in Overasselt: a 26-year-old man from Belgium who was detained in Amsterdam on Friday. The arrest comes after a 51-year-old security guard was shot dead in the Gelderland village on Tuesday morning.

We have not received any threats.

· Carolus Magnus board memberThe association explained that it canceled the memorial for security reasons, while denying that it had received threats.

About 30 heavily armed men had moved through Overasselt, reportedly on their way to the home of a family allegedly involved in drug crime. Two police officers were wounded in subsequent shootings. Of the 34 suspects arrested earlier, 32 are being held for longer. All the men, who come from several countries, are suspected of murder or manslaughter.

A memorial for the victim had been planned for Sunday at Carolus Magnus, a Nijmegen student association where he had worked as a security guard for years. The association canceled the gathering for security reasons. A board member said the decision was made by the association itself on Saturday evening and stressed that Carolus Magnus had received no threats.

We put the decision online, in the hope that not everyone will then be standing outside our door.

· Carolus Magnus memberThe member described why the association publicly announced the cancellation.

“We put the decision online, in the hope that not everyone will then be standing outside our door,” another member said. Police said they played “no role” in the cancellation and had issued “no negative advice” about the event.

No role

· Police spokespersonPolice said they had no role in the association’s decision to cancel the memorial.

Members remembered the victim as a familiar figure who stood at the entrance whenever the association held a party. “He knew many people by name, he had been here longer than most of us,” one member said. It remains unclear whether a memorial will be held later.

He knew many people by name, he had been here longer than most of us.

· Carolus Magnus memberA member recalled the victim’s long presence as a security guard at the student association.
About this summary

Originally published by NRC Handelsblad in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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