A 49-year-old man from Westerwolde was killed in a fatal stabbing inside a care facility in the village of Bourtange, Groningen, on Sunday evening. Police immediately arrested a 46-year-old male suspect, also from the Westerwolde municipality, directly inside the property shortly after arriving.

The attack took place inside a white care farm located on the Vlagtwedderstraat. The property is managed by Stichting Phusis, an Assen-based organization providing small-scale specialized residential care. Emergency services received the dispatch notification at approximately 7:20 PM. It has not yet been publicly clarified whether he was a fellow client or a staff member.

First responders deployed heavily to the scene, including multiple police units, ambulances, and a trauma helicopter dispatched from Eelde Airport. Despite immediate resuscitation attempts by emergency crews, the victim succumbed to his wounds and died at the scene.

According to reporting from RTV Noord, sources and a family member stated that the suspect is a patient at the facility. He reportedly possesses the mental capacity of a 12-year-old child and takes heavy antipsychotic medication to suppress psychoses.

The Forensic Investigation unit cordoned off the care home to carry out extensive evidence collection. Because the homicide occurred inside an active medical care institution, the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) was formally notified and has launched an independent safety investigation.

Stichting Phusis has deployed victim support services to assist the remaining staff and residents traumatized by the event.