Baflo is the larger town next to my old hometown, I used to come there a lot since most important stuff was there and not in the rural village I lived. Yesterday evening the police central got a call reporting domestic abuse in Baflo. Police arrived on the scene and found the lifeless body of a woman, immediately they issued a Burgernet (Civilian-network) call to get all people in the neighbourhood looking out for the suspect. Police found the suspect at the train station, the police tried to take him in but in the struggle the assailant got hold of the police officer's firearm and shot him in the head. A shoot-out was the result, injuring a civilian, another police officer and the assailant. Needless to say the officer who got shot in the head is dead.
This is Groningen, a largely rural area with an easy-tempered city at the heart of it. Nothing ever happens here, except for minor crimes, and robberies. Anti-social behaviour such as this happens, but never escalates to this degree. Murder and especially full-fledged police shoot-outs are extremely uncommon. Regardless to say, the entire community is shocked; thanks to this asshole who seems to have had a fight with his girlfriend, kills her and is too weak to face judgement. I hope he survives his injuries so he can go to court properly.
Also, last saturday, in Alphen aan de Rijn, not so rural but still not evil-big-city-like; a 24-year old decided to start a shooting frenzy in the middle of a shopping mall. He killed seven people, including himself.
And then I last heard my nephew is in jail, my mother's brother's only son. A young kid, he must be about 17, committed armed robbery. Ironically, his father is a police chief and his biological mother works at the police central.
Where does this anti-social behaviour come from?
I suspect our monarch will say something on the Baflo tragedy, as well as she has done on the one in Alphen aan de Rijn. Naturally concerned with her people, she was speechless. I guess this form of comfort and government involvement is one of the functions she still has.
3 comments:
The Alphen aan de Rijn tragedy resulted in shots heard around the world via the news media on the day it happened.
Strict control of firearms and ammo doesn't work for those who really want them bad enough. And unfortunately mad gunman shooting sprees will continue to occur on occasion somewhere in the world. The causes of anti-social behaviour are numerous, and there is no single cure.
Just be thankful that your nation doesn't suffer narco-related violence on a daily basis like we do over here.
I hope the Queen said something of comfort.
seems you're a bit low on your weblog burner. Curious to see how you're doing, especially now Dutch national pride is coming to Groningen.
I myself am sure to visit, since there are so many promissing exhibitions, like the one at Mooiman, with original drawings of Tom of Finland (I visited the ToF artfair in L.A. last march)
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