French, Belgian suspects among 34 held in fatal Overasselt shooting; Two cops hurt

At least 34 people were arrested in the 13 hours following a fatal shooting in Overasselt on Tuesday morning that left a security guard dead and two police officers injured. The incident at 4 a.m. was followed by an enormous investigative effort that led to the capture of the suspects, including people from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Algeria, said acting Oost-Nederland Police Chief Jolanda Albers at a press conference late Tuesday afternoon. She added that the situation has not yet concluded, and has asked area residents to remain in their homes until the situation is definitively declared to be safe again.

Two police officers injured in the incident were rescued by their colleagues while the situation was ongoing. They were treated by fellow police at the scene, and brought to safety. From there, they were taken in critical condition to an area hospital, where they were stabilized.

A 51-year-old man from Wijchem, who was believed to have been a security guard stationed the home, was killed in the shooting. Neighbors said they heard at least 30 shots fired on the Ewijkseweg during the early morning incident.

The arrested people are currently under investigation for a variety of charges, including murder or manslaughter, attempted murder or manslaughter, conspiracy to commit the crime, and preparation of a kidnapping. Of the 34 arrests, three were arrested barefoot in front of a Powned reporter near Overasselt.

At least three were also taken into custody at Nijmegen rail station, two were arrested on De Laan in Overasselt, at least one on the A73 in Heumen, and at least one was arrested on the A76 near Stein, Limburg. Police raids were also carried out in the cornfield between Overasselt and Nederasselt.

There is still “acute danger” in the Overasselt area; police have asked residents to remain indoors where possible and have called on people to avoid the area unless necessary. Because of the chaotic nature of such a sprawling investigation, police need the public to stay inside both for their safety and to make sure police can process all of the crime scenes and secure trace evidence, Aalbers said.

Police remained present in Nederasselt and Overasselt, and the area between the two Gelderland towns is still the subject of a large-scale investigation. “If you see any suspicious people or objects, call 112 immediately,” police have said. “Do not approach these people or pick up the objects.”

Police do not know if they have found all of the weapons used in the incident, which could be lying on the ground anywhere between Overasselt and Nederasselt, Aalbers said. “At this moment, we do not know if there are still firearms lying around anywhere, or if any suspects are still loitering,” Aalbers said. She expects people will be able to go to work on Wednesday, and schoolchildren can return to classrooms as normal.

Monique Vinkesteijn of the Public Prosecution Service has said that the incident has all appearances of a “long-running conflict.” Media reports throughout the day suggested the incident was connected to convicted drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, also known as Bolle Jos. Leijdekkers is a fugitive who is awaiting a total of 103 years of prison time in the Netherlands and Belgium for drug trafficking.

The home where the Wijchen man was murdered was already shot at dozens of times during a single incident last year. Joerie Minses, the mayor of Heunen, said his office had already ordered the home vacated several times. Overasselt is part of his municipality, and mayors in the Netherlands have broad powers to close properties for limited periods of time when they are considered to be a public security issue.

“As mayor, I learned of the events in Overasselt with horror. What happened last night crosses all boundaries. The entire community is shocked. This is un-Dutch,” Minses said.