Rotterdam shooting suspect's troubled past emerges
STORY: The troubled past of the medical student suspected of shooting three people dead in Rotterdam began to emerge on Friday (September 29).
The 32-year-old suspect, named only as Fouad L, was arrested shortly after the attacks.
Police and prosecutors later said he had a history of psychotic behavior and a conviction for animal abuse, and, they said, he likely targeted his victims intentionally.
Prosecutors are still investigating the suspect's motive, but confirmed they had previously notified the Erasmus University Medical Center (EMC), where he was studying of his problematic behavior.
The warning resulted in the suspect being denied a doctor's license unless he underwent psychological evaluation and was declared fit to practice medicine, the university said in a statement.
The suspect's neighbors were left shocked.
"It's really terrible. I couldn't stop crying when I heard the news and now I'm here, I wasn't here yesterday, but my thoughts are with all the people who were here and it's so, so sad. That's what I am feeling right now. It's sad that excesses of this kind exist."
The suspect is being held on suspicion of shooting dead a 39-year-old woman who lived near his home, her 14-year-old-daughter, and then a 43-year-old doctor who taught at the EMC.
He is due to appear before a judge on October 3.
