Student Association Evacuated After Report of Firearm, One Arrest Made
Police arrest 19-year-old suspect in Peperstraat after firearm report; no weapon found, investigation ongoing
Student association Unitas on Peperstraat in Groningen was briefly evacuated on Monday afternoon after police received a report of someone seen with a firearm near the building. A 19-year-old man from Steenwijk was arrested in connection with the incident.
According to eyewitnesses, a heavy police presence arrived at the scene late in the afternoon. Officers entered the Unitas building, where one witness said the suspect fled through a side window before being apprehended by police outside.
Police confirmed that the building was evacuated as a precaution during the arrest. No firearm was found at the time, and further investigation is ongoing. The suspect was taken to the police station for questioning.
Unitas spokesperson Caspar Kroeze stated that none of the student association's members were involved in the incident. “We were instructed by the police to evacuate, and we complied,” he said, referring further inquiries to the authorities.