WILLEMSTAD, BRUSSELS – Authorities in Belgium have arrested the man suspected of fatally shooting Curaçao-born Ardilles “Rilles” Gerard earlier this year in Rotterdam. The 32-year-old suspect from Amsterdam was apprehended on Monday following an international arrest warrant issued by Dutch authorities. 

Gerard was shot and killed during the night of February 1 to 2 at the Sunrise Center in Rotterdam, where a Caribbean-themed event was taking place. The incident left another man, a 24-year-old from Amsterdam, injured but alive. Gerard later succumbed to his injuries in hospital. 

The Dutch Public Prosecution Service and police have worked intensively on the case in recent months, including broadcasting it on the national crime-solving program Opsporing Verzocht. The appeal extended to Curaçao, with investigators hoping the local community could help identify the shooter. 

The arrest in Belgium marks a significant breakthrough in the investigation. Extradition proceedings are now underway to transfer the suspect to the Netherlands, where he will face prosecution. 

The shooting shocked the Caribbean community in the Netherlands and on Curaçao, where Gerard was well known. Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive behind the incident.