Photo: MediaTV

In the night from Saturday, February 1 to Sunday, February 2, shots were fired around 4:00 AM at a party center in Rotterdam Delfshaven. First, shots were fired inside. Two men were seriously injured. They are a 24-year-old man from Amsterdam and a 42-year-old man from Hoorn. This 42-year-old man, Ardiles Gerard, later died in the hospital from his injuries.

Then, shots were also fired outside. No one was injured, but the bullet narrowly missed two people. The 32-year-old man who was arrested on Monday is now suspected of both the shooting inside and the shooting outside. This means he has been charged with manslaughter and two counts of attempted manslaughter. The suspect will be brought before the investigating judge in Turnhout based on the European Arrest Warrant (EAW). Subsequently, the extradition procedure will be initiated.

The investigation
To solve this case and apprehend the suspect, the Large Scale Investigation Team, led by the Public Prosecution Service, conducted extensive and persistent detective work. Team leader Raymond Kolsteren: “In the investigation, we saw on footage that Ardiles Gerard arrived at the party center that fateful night with three other men. Footage that we also shared in Bureau Rijnmond and Opsporing Verzocht. Two men, a 38-year-old man from Lelystad and a 27-year-old man from Tilburg, were arrested after the shooting for other matters. We were quickly able to establish the identity of the fugitive suspect. And then the search for his whereabouts began.”

Hidden in storage space of sofa bed
“No opportunity was wasted.” Said Kolsteren. “The Forensic Investigation secured important traces. Extensive tactical financial and digital investigations were also conducted. And all of this did not go without results. The investigation led us to Belgium where he was hiding. We worked closely with the Belgian police. With the Belgian FAST team, the team of the Federal Judicial Police specialized in locating and arresting fugitives, we were able to ascertain that the man was in Balen. The Belgian special unit DSU of the Federal Police arrested him there in a residence where he was hiding in a storage space of a sofa bed.” The suspect resisted his arrest and sustained injuries. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Several people contributed after broadcasts of Bureau Rijnmond and Opsporing Verzocht, shared footage, and provided tips. Kolsteren: “We want to thank everyone for that. The investigation continues vigorously, and information can still be shared. This can also be done anonymously via 0800-7000 or through the Criminal Intelligence Team 088-6617734.”