Queen Beatrix, her son Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and several government ministers attended a ceremony today to remember the victims of the mass shooting one and half weeks ago in the small town of Alphen aan den Rijn. Six people died and many more were wounded when a 24-year-old man went on a shooting spree at an indoor shopping centre in the town, before shooting himself as well.

At the commemoration, interim mayor Bas Eenhoorn recited the names of the six people who were killed, before going on to say that the events of 9 April had left a lasting mark on the lives of many. He praised the community spirit of the people of Alphen aan den Rijn and the support they had received from all over the Netherlands.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte spoke of the ‘fatal minutes’ in which six innocent civilians lost their lives.

After the ceremony, Queen Beatrix and Prince Willem-Alexander spoke to survivors of the shooting, relatives of the victims and members of the emergency services.

Halfmast
Around 1,000 people gathered outside the hall and followed the events on a number of large video screens set up on the square. Flags flew at halfmast on nearby houses and a church and at various other locations around the country.

(tf/ks/ae)