AMSTERDAM — Authorities have confirmed that the man shot dead in broad daylight on a packed outdoor terrace in Amsterdam on Friday afternoon was a long-serving warden at a local maximum-security prison.
The victim, identified as 30-year veteran correctional officer Marcel Blijd, was killed at point-blank range while sitting outside the De Baanderij restaurant. The establishment is located on the bustling NDSM quay on the north bank of the IJ river, a popular waterfront destination that was crowded with weekend patrons when the violence erupted.
What initially appeared to the horrified onlookers as an escalating dispute over a dog running loose has taken on a much darker and more calculated dimension. According to Dutch media outlets including Het Parool and local crime news networks, investigators are probing whether the fatal confrontation was a targeted assassination linked to Blijd’s professional career at the Zaanstad prison, where some of the Netherlands’ most dangerous and high-profile criminals are incarcerated.
A Brutal Attack in Broad Daylight
The shooting took place at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Dozens of patrons were enjoying food and drinks in the afternoon sun when the tranquility of the quayside was shattered.
According to eyewitness accounts, the deadly encounter began as a minor altercation. The two men reportedly clashed over a dog that was running loose and barking around the waterfront area. One witness described seeing a man walking up and down the quay prior to the violence.
"He walked up and down a few times," a witness recounted to reporters. "We thought they were going to come to blows, but then there were shots."
The suspect, described by media reports as wearing a white shirt and distinctive red trousers, opened fire on Blijd as he sat outside the restaurant. The attack unfolded mere feet away from everyday scenes of leisure, including a child’s buggy parked right next to the spot where the victim ultimately collapsed.
Emergency services responded rapidly to the scene, dispatching both a ground ambulance and an air ambulance to the NDSM quay. Despite the swift medical intervention, Blijd’s injuries were fatal, and he could not be saved.
Suspect Surrenders to Authorities
In a surreal sequence of events captured on video by multiple bystanders, the gunman made no attempt to flee the scene after opening fire.
Footage from the incident showed the suspect walking down the NDSM quay, throwing his firearm into the water, calmly securing his dog on a leash, and standing by to wait for law enforcement. Within minutes, police officers arrived at the location, and the suspect surrendered without resistance. He was immediately taken into custody.
Following the shooting, local authorities locked down the area. Police cordoned off the crime scene surrounding the terrace, while vital commuter infrastructure was disrupted. Ferries operating between the NDSM wharf and Amsterdam Centraal Station—which dock immediately beside the restaurant—were suspended for three hours while forensic teams and detectives gathered evidence.
Witnesses to the traumatic event were escorted away from the scene in police vans to a local station, where officers took formal statements. Victim Support Netherlands (Slachtofferhulp) mobilized to offer guidance, advice, and psychological counseling to anyone present during the shooting.
Investigation Focuses on Prison Connections
As the investigation enters its second phase, detectives are examining whether the shooting was a planned hit connected to Blijd’s three decades of service within the Dutch prison system.
Sources cited by Het Parool indicate that the suspected gunman had previously been detained inside the Zaanstad prison facility where Blijd worked. Investigators are working to establish the exact nature of the relationship between the two men, including whether they crossed paths during the suspect’s time behind bars or if the initial dispute over the dog was merely a pretext for a targeted execution.
Zaanstad prison is a high-security institution that houses some of Amsterdam’s most hardened and dangerous offenders. Among its population are individuals linked to the "Top 600"—a municipal tracking list of chronic repeat offenders and violent criminals, many of whom maintain deep connections to organized crime networks operating within the Dutch underworld.
Remembered as a "Father Figure"
Away from the grim realities of high-security incarceration, colleagues painted a deeply affectionate picture of Marcel Blijd as a stabilizing, compassionate presence within the correctional system. Having dedicated 30 years of his life to the prison service, Blijd was widely respected by both his peers and the inmates he supervised.
Speaking to Het Parool, a grieving colleague described Blijd as a "father figure" who possessed a rare gift for de-escalation and human connection.
"Marcel could get on with everybody," the colleague shared. "If you were working with him in the cell block, you knew it was going to be a good day."
The tragic loss has sent shockwaves through the Dutch correctional community, prompting tributes from colleagues who worked alongside him for decades. As police continue to piece together the events leading up to Friday afternoon, the focus remains on determining how a routine afternoon on a public terrace turned into a devastating tragedy for a veteran public servant and his community.
