The Amersfoort man who stabbed a Rotterdammer to death and seriously injured a Swiss national close to the Erasmus bridge on Thursday evening may have acted with terrorist intent, the public prosecution department said on Friday.

The man was heard by some eyewitnesses to shout “Allahu akbar” as he attacked his second victim, who died of his injuries. “The investigation conducted so far indicates the suspect may have been ideologically driven,” the department said.

At the same time, the department said it wanted to to emphasise that the investigation is still in full swing and that other motives are not being ruled out.

The man, who is 22 and has previous convictions for violent incidents, will appear in court on Monday for a remand hearing.

The Swiss national was released from hospital on Friday.

Chairs

A personal trainer, who was giving a lesson under the bridge, described the chaotic scene as the suspect tried to get into a nearby cafe.

“I saw him stabbing a young lad with two long knives… and I ran at him using a squat stick I use for lessons,” he said. “People were keeping him out of the cafe with chairs and I was able to hit him a couple of times.”

Rotterdam police are appealing for more witnesses to come forward.