A 16-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman died in the shooting. A 13-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman were seriously injured and rushed to hospital, police said.
The shooting took place shortly before 11 a.m. at a social farm in Alblasserdam, in the province of South Holland. This therapeutic farm, which includes cows, horses, ponies and rabbits, aims to offer daytime activities for children and adults.
Two medical helicopters as well as several ambulances and rescue services were dispatched to the scene.
The suspect was arrested shortly after the incident, around 11:20 a.m., in a nearby park, police said. His firearm was confiscated. “We are happy to have arrested him so quickly and that he did not cause other victims,” commented a spokesperson.
He is a 38-year-old man from Oud-Alblas, a village near Alblasserdam.
An investigation should determine the precise circumstances of the shooting and specify whether the suspect was already known to the police.