By Ron Howells • Published: 06 Jul 2021 • 21:36
Dutch crime reporter Peter R de Vries has been shot and seriously wounded on a street in Amsterdam.
Peter R de Vries has been shot and seriously wounded on a street in Amsterdam, newspaper Parool reports, adding he has been taken to hospital.
Police confirmed the identity of Mr De Vries, 64, after an eyewitness told Dutch news outlet Het Parool that she heard the shots and saw the reporter lying on the ground. She held his hand until he was taken, still alive, by ambulance.
“A man has just been shot on Lange Leidesdwarsstrat. Multiple emergency services have been summoned and police are searching for the suspect or suspects.” said the police statement, referring to a street near one of the city’s largest public squares.
Police have asked witnesses to call with any information they might have regarding the shooting.
De Vries is a celebrity in the Netherlands, known for his investigative work following the 1983 kidnapping of beer magnate Freddy Heineken. He became known in the United States for his work investigating the disappearance of teenager Natalee Holloway in 2006.
De Vries has been subjected to continuous threats from the criminal underworld in the past in connection with several cases.
In 2013 Willem Holledeer, the Heineken kidnapper, was convicted of making threats against De Vries. Holledeer is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in five murders.
In 2019 Ridouan Taghi, currently on trial for murder and drug trafficking, took the unusual step of making a public statement denying reports that he had threatened to have De Vries killed.
UPDATE!
https://twitter.com/i/status/1412484857587027971
hey just arrested the possible shooter of peter r de vries !
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Ron actually started his working career as an Ophthalmic Technician- things changed when, during a band rehearsal, his amplifier blew up and he couldn’t get it fixed so he took a course at Birmingham University and ended up doing a degree course. He built up a chain of electronics stores and sold them as a franchise over 35 years ago. After five years touring the world Ron decided to move to Spain with his wife and son, a place they had visited over the years, and only bought the villa they live in because it has a guitar-shaped swimming pool!. Playing the guitar since the age of 7, he can often be seen, (and heard!) at beach bars and clubs along the length of the coast. He has always been interested in the news and constantly thrives to present his articles in an interesting and engaging way.
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