Nijmegen streets sealed off over gunfire report after Overasselt

On Monday evening, Dutch authorities sealed off multiple streets in eastern Nijmegen following reports of gunfire. However, it was later determined to be a false alarm. The response was heightened due to a recent attack in Overasselt, located about 10 kilometers to the south, where two police officers were injured. Armed officers instructed residents in the affected area to remain indoors, and a police helicopter and the DSI special intervention unit arrived on the scene.

Despite extensive searches, police found no evidence that shots had been fired. A spokesperson for the police emphasized the increased vigilance surrounding such reports. A Belgian national, 26 years old, was arrested in Amsterdam on Friday in connection with the Overasselt attack, raising the total number of arrests to 35. Two individuals previously released remain suspects.

Investigations are ongoing in Overasselt and the surrounding region. Several suspects have prior convictions for firearms offenses, kidnapping, and fraud. The suspects include a 23-year-old from Amsterdam, who was sentenced to four years for shooting at a house in Antwerp in 2022, and a 20-year-old from Amsterdam, who appeared in court over a shooting in late 2024 and is suspected of firing the fatal shots in Overasselt. Prosecutors have not identified a primary suspect.