Rotterdam shootings murderer Fouad Lakhlili was convicted of animal cruelty

Person of Interest
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Name	Fouad Lakhlili
Age	32
Occupation	Medical student
Known Identifiers	—
Status	Convicted murderer
Involvement	Perpetrated the 2023 Rotterdam shootings, murdering three people at two locations. The attack was a planned act of revenge against a neighbor who had reported his animal abuse and a university lecturer after the university required him to undergo a psychological assessment.
Punitive Measure	Sentenced to life in prison.

The 2023 Rotterdam shootings were a spree shooting that occurred on September 28, 2023, in which 32-year-old medical student Fouad Lakhlili murdered three people at two locations in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The attack was the foreseeable culmination of a years-long history of documented animal cruelty, profound psychological instability, and a series of systemic failures that failed to prevent his escalation to homicide.

Psychological profile and online activity

A post-arrest psychiatric evaluation concluded that Lakhlili has a severe Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which led to an official finding of "diminished responsibility" for the murders. However, this diagnosis failed to fully encompass his disturbing behavior. Years before the murders, prosecutors had explicitly warned his university, Erasmus MC, that he was exhibiting signs of "psychotic behavior," based on neighbors witnessing him lying half-naked in his garden, screaming and laughing maniacally. A forensic psychologist also identified "various antisocial and psychopathic traits" co-existing with his ASD, noting his calculated cruelty and complete lack of remorse.

Lakhlili's internal state was externalized on the web forum 4chan, where he cultivated a grandiose persona, calling himself a "genius" and describing others as "stupid normies." He broadcasted his grievances, claiming his teachers were "sabotaging" him, and his online communications culminated in the declaration: "Death to normal people." Authorities found images of people being stabbed to death, alongside Nazi and other far-right extremist symbolism, on his phone.

A pattern of violence: Animal cruelty

Lakhlili's history of animal cruelty was a sustained, multi-year campaign of escalating violence that served as a rehearsal for his crimes against humans.

• In 2018, he was reported for shooting at carp with a crossbow.
• In 2021, he was convicted of animal cruelty for torturing his pet rabbit by repeatedly throwing it against a tree and kicking it. The act was filmed and reported by his neighbor, Marlous, who would later become his first murder victim. For this crime, he received only a 40-hour community service order.
• Between 2021 and 2023, he allegedly shot a pigeon with a crossbow, abused his dog, and kept his home in a squalid condition filled with animal feces.

Systemic failures and pathway to the attack

In March 2023, the Public Prosecution Service sent an explicit warning letter to Erasmus MC, detailing Lakhlili's animal cruelty conviction, psychotic behavior, and violent online imagery, and questioning his eligibility for a medical diploma. In response, the university's examination committee decided he would not be certified as a doctor until he underwent a mandatory psychological examination.

For Lakhlili, this institutional safeguard was interpreted as the ultimate act of sabotage and became the definitive trigger for his revenge plot. He immediately began to meticulously prepare, purchasing firearms and renewing his university enrollment to ensure his building access remained active.

A post-incident "Reflection Report" concluded that Lakhlili was a "very calculating" individual who skillfully exploited the seams between agencies, presenting a different, less threatening version of himself to each and thereby avoiding a more aggressive, coordinated intervention.

Date/Period	Act of Animal Cruelty / Disturbing Behavior	Victim(s)	Institutional Action	Outcome / Significance
2018	Shooting at fish with a crossbow.	Carp	Formal warning for poaching issued.	First documented instance of weaponized animal cruelty.
2021	Brutally mistreating a rabbit (throwing against a tree, kicking).	Pet rabbit	Neighbor (Marlous) filmed and reported the abuse.	Convicted of animal cruelty; sentenced to 40 hours community service. Establishes Marlous as a target.
2021-2023	Neighbors report "psychotic behavior" (screaming, laughing maniacally).	N/A	Multiple reports to police.	Police attempts to engage were met with avoidance.
Mar 2023	Prosecutor formally warns Erasmus MC about his behavior and conviction.	N/A	Official letter sent to the university's examination board.	The direct catalyst for the university's action and Lakhlili's subsequent rage.
Mar 2023	Erasmus MC requires Lakhlili to undergo a psychological assessment for his diploma.	N/A	Decision made by the examination board.	Lakhlili perceives this as the final act of "sabotage," triggering his meticulous planning for murder.

The attack and legal outcome

On the afternoon of September 28, 2023, Lakhlili went to the residence of his neighbor, Marlous, and shot her and her 14-year-old daughter, Romy, to death before setting their home on fire. He then traveled to Erasmus MC, entered a classroom, and murdered 43-year-old lecturer and GP Jurgen Damen. He set another fire within the hospital before being arrested by a police unit underneath the hospital's helipad.

On February 21, 2025, Fouad Lakhlili was convicted on charges of murder, arson, and weapons possession. The court rejected the prosecution's request for a 30-year sentence followed by compulsory psychiatric treatment, and instead sentenced him to life in prison, citing the planned and deliberate manner of his actions.