"2011Shock at 'un-Dutch' mass shooting"

A multiple victim public shooting in the Netherlands from October 2011:

The Netherlands was in shock Sunday after a gunman killed six people and wounded 11 in a packed shopping mall before committing suicide in an act the media dubbed "un-Dutch". 

"Alphen aan den Rijn will never be the same," said one of about 5,400 messages on an electronic condolence register opened in the town where the 24-year-old man went on the rampage on Saturday. 

"Why? We are incredulous and shocked," said another. "The Netherlands lost its innocence." 

Gunman Tristan van der Vlis entered the De Ridderhof shopping mall in the town about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of Amsterdam at around lunchtime on Saturday when it was packed with children and their parents. 

Witnesses said he opened fire with an automatic firearm on shoppers and merchants, striding around without haste. Dutch authorities have not identified the victims. 

The man then shot himself, taking the motive for the mass killing with him to the grave. 

In a farewell letter to his parents made public overnight, Van der Vlis said he was unhappy and wanted to commit suicide but made no mention of killing others. . . .