Rotterdam shootings: Hospital was warned of 'psychotic' suspect

A woman shot by a man suspected of killing three people in Rotterdam had repeatedly complained about him to the police, her neighbour has told the BBC.

Prosecutors also knew about Fouad L and had warned the hospital where another victim was shot, an email shows.

Fouad L, 32, had shown "psychotic behaviour", the hospital was told.

He was arrested on Thursday after he allegedly shot his neighbour and her daughter as well as a lecturer at the Erasmus Medical Center.

The Dutch authorities have not given any details about a possible motive, but said it was likely the victims were intentionally targeted.

Roy, who lives in the same apartment block, told the BBC the family lived next door to Fouad L and had repeatedly reported him to the police.

"Once he threw a dead rabbit into their garden," the 20-year-old said.

The police would come, Roy added, but "he always had the curtains closed and never opened the door".

"They had so many chances to kick him out. This is social housing, he should have been evicted a long time ago," he said.

The email - sent by the Dutch public prosecution service to the teaching hospital where Fouad L studied - described his previous "worrying behaviour", including him being found "half-naked in the garden on a pile of leaves".

In the message, prosecutors suggested his behaviour could affect whether the hospital would grant him a medical diploma.

The suspected gunman posted the email in a web forum himself and complained about teachers "sabotaging" him.

He described himself as an alcoholic and said he had been fired because he was unable to finish his medical degree.

Prosecutors have confirmed the authenticity of the email, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reports.

Erasmus Medical Center chairman Stefan Sleijfer said in a statement that the prosecutor's warning had been taken seriously.

Fouad L was told to undergo psychological evaluation and was denied a doctor's licence unless a psychologist declared him fit to practise medicine, Mr Sleijfer said.

During a search of his phone at the time of the animal cruelty investigation, prosecutors also found pictures of people being stabbed as well as right-wing extremist images.

Fouad L set fire to the residential building after shooting the woman and her daughter, police said. Emergency services took the daughter, 14, to hospital but she later died from her injuries.

Bouquets of roses and sunflowers have been attached to the black screen placed by police around the crime scene.

Roy said the family was friendly with their other neighbours and often outside talking with them.

"Now a girl I knew since she was tiny is dead. Her twin sister, older sister and little brother have lost their sibling and mother," he said.

Francisca, another neighbour, said her granddaughter had been friends with the victim's twin girls. "It's just so sad. I still can't believe it," she told the BBC.

Police officers were going door to door the day after the attack, searching for evidence.

The windows of the family's flats are entirely blown out and black burn marks around the brickwork suggest the blaze ignited by the gunman had been substantial.

After the first shooting, police say he went to the Erasmus Medical Center and killed a 43-year-old male lecturer.

The hospital named the victim as Jurgen Damen and described him as "a dearly beloved teacher" and "well-known face in the educational world of Rotterdam".

The suspect was arrested outside the Erasmus Medical Center around 15:30 local time (13:30 GMT) in a huge operation that included an elite police unit storming the hospital and helicopters hovering over the building.

Fouad L also started a fire at the hospital, causing significant damage. The hospital says it has cancelled all lectures in the building, but students have been invited to mourn there today.

On Friday morning, staff gathered in a cosy café outside the teaching hospital told the BBC they were frustrated about Rotterdam being characterised as a place in the grip of violence linked to gangs and drug-trafficking.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte wrote in a post on social media: "My thoughts go out to the victims of the violence, their loved ones and to all the people who have been in great fear."

Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said the "horrible incident" was a "pitch-black day" for the city.

Fouad L appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on Friday and will be arraigned next week.