Den Helder closes pub after fatal shooting, suspect still on the run

The municipality of Den Helder has closed the pub where a fatal shooting took place on Friday night. On its website, the municipality said that the decision to close the pub de Bierbron had been prepared “before the shooting last night.”

The municipality revoked the pub’s operating license and liquor license for setting up what it called a sham administration. “This shows that it is not the manager who is running the pub, but another person who was not listed on the license. This is not allowed and that’s why the mayor revoked the licenses.” This means that the pubis is closed as of now.

Mayor Jan de Boer said in a statement that people in Den Helder were “incredibly shocked.” “First of all, I would like to express my condolences to the victims and their families. My thoughts are also with the local residents, some of whom witnessed the incident as bystanders. I can imagine that they were also very shocked by the events of last night. The impact for these people is enormous.”

De Boer said the municipality is considering hosting a meeting for residents soon to engage in conversation. “As a municipality, we stand for and are committed to a safe community of Den Helder. The safety of our residents is paramount. We are aware that there are emotional reactions to these events. That’s why I think it’s important that we stay in touch with residents in the near future. We will see how we can organize this properly.”

The shooting occurred around midnight in front of the café on Bassingracht where a 25-year-old man from Alkmaar was killed. Furthermore, two other people were injured, one of them seriously, the police reported.

However, there is still no trace of the 25-year-old suspect. According to the police, the young perpetrator has a light complexion and was wearing black clothes and a black cap during the shooting. The police ask to immediately call the emergency number 112 if anyone has information about his whereabouts. “The man is dangerous and possibly in possession of a firearm,” police said.