Rotterdam Hospital Shooting: Suspect Was Known to Be Psychotic

Dutch authorities were aware of the Rotterdam shooter’s troubling behavior.
An email from the Dutch public prosecution service warned the hospital where one victim was shot.
The shooter, Fouad L, had a history of psychotic behavior and a prior animal cruelty conviction.

Dutch authorities were aware of the individual responsible for the tragic shooting in Rotterdam, where three people lost their lives.

An email from the Dutch public prosecution service revealed that they had warned the hospital where one of the victims was shot, indicating that the perpetrator, Fouad L, aged 32, had exhibited “psychotic behavior.”

Fouad L had been apprehended following the alleged shooting of a woman and her daughter at their residence, as well as an educator at the Erasmus Medical Center.

It was disclosed that he had previously been convicted of animal cruelty.

The email, sent to the teaching hospital where Fouad L was enrolled, outlined past instances of “troubling behavior,” including an incident where he was discovered “partially unclothed in the garden on a pile of leaves.”

Prosecutors in the message suggested that his conduct could have repercussions on whether the hospital would grant him a medical diploma.

The suspected shooter himself shared the email on an internet forum and expressed grievances about teachers he believed were “sabotaging” him.

He also admitted to struggling with alcoholism and losing his job due to his inability to complete his medical degree.

The authenticity of the email has been confirmed by prosecutors, as reported by Dutch public broadcaster NOS. During a search of his phone as part of the animal cruelty investigation, prosecutors also uncovered pictures depicting violence, including stabbings, along with images associated with right-wing extremism.

Fouad L was arrested outside the Erasmus Medical Center in a significant law enforcement operation, which involved an elite police unit storming the hospital and helicopters circling overhead.

The sequence of events began with the shooter allegedly targeting a 39-year-old woman and her 14-year-old daughter at their central Rotterdam residence, followed by setting fire to the building.

While Dutch media reports suggest that the woman had previously reported the gunman to authorities, this detail has not been officially confirmed by the police.

Subsequently, he proceeded to the hospital where he fatally shot a 43-year-old male lecturer and caused significant damage by setting a fire.

The hospital has canceled all lectures in the affected building, but students have been invited to gather there for mourning.

On Friday morning, staff members gathered at a nearby cafe outside the teaching hospital and expressed their frustration with Rotterdam being portrayed as a place plagued by violence associated with gangs and drug trafficking.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte wrote in a post on social media: “My thoughts go out to the victims of the violence, their loved ones, and to all the people who have been in great fear.”

Rotterdam Hospital Shooting: Suspect Was Known to Be Psychotic

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