A lone gunman has killed six people and wounded at least ten others in the town of Alphen aan den Rijn in the west of the Netherlands.

The gunman, who was using an automatic weapon, slowly walked through the shopping centre, shooting all the while. He then committed suicide.

Eyewitnesses stated he used an automatic weapon, which he could not have obtained legally. The Public Prosecutor denied reports suggesting he had killed his mother and injured his father. She also denied rumours that he had a military background.

Police have confirmed that the perpetrator was 24-year-old Tristan van der Vlis, a local resident. He left a farewell note at his mother's home, but police say the note does not reveal a motive for the shooting. He left another note in his car saying he planted explosives at three other shopping malls. The authorities evacuated these malls as a precaution, and are searching for the explosives.

Tristan van der Vlis had come in contact with the police in 2003, in incidents involving possession of arms and making threats. Police questioned him at the time, but did not file any charges. Unconfirmed reports say he assaulted his girlfriend last month.

Panic
The shooting on a sunny weekend afternoon created mass panic in the mall, heightened by fears that more than one gunman was involved. Police who arrived on the scene evacuated the premises.

"It's hardly credible that our town could experience such slaughter, and on a day as beautiful as this," said Eenhoorn, adding that he was deeply shocked and offering his condolences to relatives of the victims.

Police evacuated the shopping centre and cordoned it off. They also evacuated three others as a precautionary measure. Nothing is known about the killer's motives.

Queen dismayed
Queen Beatrix said she heard the news with ‘great dismay’. The enormous sorrow so many people are going through right now has left her speechless, and she sympathizes intensely with the victims and their relatives. Princes Maxima also offered her condolences.

(jt/imm)