Tristan Van der Vlis

Timeline

• 9 April 2011 — Tristan van der Vlis entered the Ridderhof mall in Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands, shot multiple people, and then killed himself.
• 10 April 2011 — A memorial service was held at the mall; a 17-year-old boy was arrested after allegedly threatening another mass shooting; the total number of deceased reached seven when an injured victim later succumbed.

Background

Tristan van der Vlis lived in an apartment complex in Alphen aan den Rijn with his parents and had lived in Alphen since his childhood. Police said he had an obsession with guns since his childhood and that he was a member of a shooting association. He possessed three firearms. According to police, he had a history of psychological and psychiatric problems, including paranoid schizophrenia. In 2006, he spent 10 days in a closed institution after attempting suicide. He tried to attempt suicide at least twice in 2008.

The offence

On 9 April 2011, six people were killed by a gunman who entered the Ridderhof mall in Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands, a town approximately 33 kilometres (21 mi) south-west of Amsterdam. The incident involved seven deaths, including the killer, and 17 wounded at the time of the shooting.

Tristan van der Vlis, described as 24-year-old in one account and 25-year-old in another, wore a bulletproof vest and was armed with a semi-automatic Smith & Wesson M&P15-22, a pistol and a revolver. He first got out of his black mercedes-benz and shot a person outside. He then entered the Ridderhof mall and fired more than 100 rounds, killing five people and injuring another 17 before taking his own life.

He took a pistol, put it on his head, and shot himself. Many shoppers in the centre panicked before the mall was evacuated and cordoned off. Later that day, one injured victim succumbed to injuries, raising the total number of deceased to seven.

Officials said children were among the victims and had suffered only mild injuries. The dead included three males aged 80, 49, and 42, and three females aged 91, 68, and 45.

Witnesses said van der Vlis appeared to be shooting at random. Police arrived just as the gunfire was ending.

Investigation

A Dutch prosecutor said Tristan van der Vlis had faced an inquiry in 2003 but had not been convicted.

Officials said he had permits for five weapons. Dutch law bans possession of automatic weapons. It was not clear if one of the weapons he had permits for was used in the shootings. The public prosecutor Kitty Nooy said he was known to police and “almost certainly operated alone,” and she said he was a member of a shooting club who was allowed to own five weapons, of which he actually possessed three.

“It is unclear whether he used one of them in the shooting,”
Kitty Nooy said.

Notes and explosives alert

Officials said van der Vlis left two notes, neither of which gave an explanation for his actions. One note was found by his mother and spoke of his suicidal feelings.

“The letter said: 'There are explosives in three other shopping malls in Alphen aan den Rijn',”

The other note was found in his car parked outside the shopping centre and claimed explosives had been left in three other malls in Alphen aan den Rijn. The shopping centres were evacuated but no bombs were found. Kitty Nooy said van der Vlis had not been in the military and had no history of dealing with explosives.

Mayor Bas Eenhoorn called the incident “unprecedented” for the town of about 70,000 people.

Arrests and copycat threats

Shortly after the shooting, police arrested a 17-year-old boy who threatened to carry out another mass shooting. The teenager from Rotterdam allegedly posted on Twitter:

” Haha Iraq is also coming to the Netherlands. This man in Alphen already has 6 kills on his name. I'm going to outdo him. ”

After a backlash, the boy deleted the post and claimed it was a joke. Since then, four other people were arrested for making similar threats on Twitter.

Response

The Netherlands Government Information Service said Queen Beatrix was “speechless because of the great loss and sadness;” and politicians such as Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten expressed feelings of shock and tragedy.

Several thousand people attended a memorial service at the mall on 10 April. Prime minister Mark Rutte, Minister Opstelten, and acting Mayor of Alphen aan den Rijn Bas Eenhoorn were present.

Queen Beatrix was “speechless because of the great loss and sadness;”

Aftermath

The Netherlands has strict gun laws and shootings are rare. Officials did not make a link between this incident and another shooting in the same district on 2 April, in which two people were killed.

Other details

He was described as wearing a bomber jacket and camouflage trousers, and entered the Ridderhof shopping centre around midday. Police said he was “almost certainly operated alone”, and the investigation described him as known to police.