Prison worker killed in shooting by crowded NDSM ferry in Amsterdam; Suspect in custody

A shooting near the NDSM ferry dock along the wharf in Amsterdam-Noord left one person dead, police said Friday afternoon. One person was in custody for the shooting. The victim was employed at a prison in Zaanstad, Westland, where another worker was recently fired for smuggling drugs into the facility.

A suspected motive was not disclosed, and no information was released about the identity of the suspect. The violence took place on a cafe terrace at the crowded, sunny NDSM-Kade, a quay running along the IJ River.

It happened just after 3:05 p.m. with a large contingent of first responders arriving on scene within minutes. "The NDSM-kade was busy due to the nice weather, and many people were present," police said.

Officers raced to the scene along with several paramedics. The victim was reportedly taken to an area hospital, but their condition was not immediately disclosed. Police cordoned off the ferry dock and the immediate area west of there, as investigators searched for any weapon involved in the violent crime.

Authorities initially told media outlet ANP that “both the suspect and the victim” were taken into custody, which a police spokesperson later corrected. Dispatchers also wrote in a first message to responding emergency services personnel that the case involved a stabbing.

The person who was shot dead on Friday was an employee of the Justitieel Complex Zaanstad, a prison located less than 15 kilometers west of the crime scene. The worker's death was confirmed by correctional institutions agency DJI to both the Telegraaf and ANP.

A tip about drug trafficking at the prison sparked concerns at the facility, leading to the public disclosure of a worker's firing. "An employee of JC Zaanstad has been summarily dismissed after an investigation revealed that the employee was involved in bringing in a substantial quantity of drugs," the DJI wrote in a statement on Sept. 16.

A drug-sniffing dog was used to carry out a search after the agency was tipped off. The DJI also filed a report with the police to press charges in the matter. Over a thousand prisoners are incarcerated at the Zaanstad prison, including people treated at the psychiatric facility on-site, and those identified by the city of Amsterdam as young offenders who carry out crimes that have had a significant impact on society. The facility has a jail for people ordered to pre-trial detention, and a separate cell block for repeat offenders

Officers involved in the case have not gone on the record about a suspected motive behind the brazen afternoon shooting. "The police are appealing to witnesses to come forward. Anyone with camera footage is also asked to share it," authorities wrote in a statement posted on Instagram. "Please do not share footage on social media," police said.

The NDSM-Werf ferry temporarily docked at Distelweg as an alternative stop, public transport operator GVB told Parool. There were no disruptions to ferry service as of 4:30 p.m., according to the GVB website.

Records show authorities were first alerted to the violence at 3:09 p.m. A trauma team was initially dispatched to the scene by helicopter, but the air ambulance was re-routed before it arrived from the south of the country.

The helicopter ambulance typically stationed closer to Amsterdam was responding to a separate call further north, according to flight information websites.