During a shooting in front of a cafe in the center of Rotterdam, a 26-year-old man was seriously injured, the police reported. The victim was taken to the hospital.

According to bystanders, an automatic weapon was used to shoot ten times. That happened around 9.30 pm on the Nieuwe Binnenweg and there it was very busy at the time. Bullet holes are visible in the facade of the café and more than ten bullet cases have been found on the street.

After the shooting incident, a car with a Belgian license plate would have driven away. The police have closed off a large area to secure any traces and to prevent emergency services from being disturbed. The Rotterdam police are calling on witnesses to pass on tips via 112.

Firearm violence in the city
Last week, the municipality, the Public Prosecution Service and the police announced unorthodox measures to tackle the firearm violence in Rotterdam. In the first half of the year there were already 72 shootings in the city, the same as in the whole of 2018.