It was an extremely violent robbery last May at a jeweler in The Hague. A robber aimed a firearm at her head no less than eight times and pulled the trigger. Fortunately, the weapon malfunctioned each of these eight times.
Initially, everything seemed fine when a now 21-year-old man from The Hague entered the jewelry store on May 22, 2024, with a friend (22). He had been to the store before, knew the jeweler, and even called her mom. But suddenly, the friendly atmosphere changed. Footage from the jewelry store shows how the suspects grabbed and hit the jeweler.
The 21-year-old man then pulls a firearm from his pocket, holds it to the jewelers head, and pulls the trigger. But fortunately, nothing happens. To the frustration of the suspect, it seems, as he fiddles with the weapon multiple times, pressing it against the jeweler again and again, trying to shoot. At one point, a bullet falls out of the weapon. The suspect removes the magazine from the weapon and pushes it back in. And time and again, he tries to shoot while the other robber continues to hold the jeweler.
Weapon did not work
According to the Public Prosecution Service, it is clear that the suspects intended to kill the jeweler that afternoon. However, the 21-year-old man claims he had a fake gun and only wanted to scare the jeweler. The prosecutor called this completely implausible. The suspect performed numerous actions on the weapon that indicate he genuinely wanted to shoot. At one point, he and his friend even turned their faces away, seemingly afraid of what would happen when they pulled the trigger again.
It is more likely that the suspect did not have a fake gun but a defective one. The weapon itself was never found, but the bullet that fell out was. The back of this live round shows a dent in the primer, but at the edge and not in the center. This is likely the reason the weapon did not function.
The psychological effects on the jeweler are no less significant. Since the robbery, her passion for her business has vanished, and joy has left her life. I may not have been shot dead that day, but inside, I feel dead.
Attempted murder
The 21-year-old suspect has provided little insight into his thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to the experts. The Public Prosecution Service considers him fully accountable. His friend is somewhat less accountable due to being mildly intellectually disabled and diagnosed with PTSD.
Both suspects have been charged with robbery with violence and attempted murder, according to the Public Prosecution Service. The 21-year-old suspect was also charged with other offenses: attempted theft of a scooter, assault, theft of a pendant from a jeweler, and resisting arrest. The Public Prosecution Service demanded a 15-year prison sentence for him. For the 22-year-old co-defendant, a 12-year prison sentence was demanded. The court will rule in three weeks.