Dutch mall shooting leaves at least 6 dead

**Crossbow** · 04-09-2011, 02:17 PM

A gunman opened fire with an automatic weapon at a shopping mall outside Amsterdam on Saturday, leaving at least six people dead and wounding 11 others, Dutch officials said.

The city government of Alphen aan den Rijn initially announced on its Twitter account that four people died in the shooting at the Ridderhof mall, but Mayor Bas Eenhoorn later said six were dead, including the gunman.

The suburb is less than 25 kilometres southwest of Amsterdam.

A witness identified as Maart Verbeek told state broadcaster NOS the attacker had a machine gun and that he had seen at least five people he believed were killed and numerous more wounded.

"There was a panic in the mall, a lot of people running," said Verbeek, a pet shop owner. "I see the attacker coming, walking, and I go inside the store … and I see him going by with a big machine gun."

Dutch broadcaster NOS cited witnesses as saying the man later shot himself in the head with a second weapon, a pistol.

The gunman was described as being about 25 years old and wearing a leather jacket and camouflage pants.

This has made the headlines today here.