YouTuber RouandYT acknowledged conducting a prank call with Efe Y. Shortly before the shooting that killed two Syrian teenagers in Amsterdam Nieuw-West on Recent Year’s Day.
The acknowledgment came after Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf obtained recordings of the conversation, prompting RouandYT to reverse his earlier denial made in a video recorded in an Egyptian resort.
RouandYT stated via his lawyer Gerald Roethof that uncertainty about the recording date led to his initial denial, during which he claimed he was not active on New Year’s Day and was celebrating with family, and friends.
His lawyer said in a written statement that upon further analysis of known information, RouandYT must correct his denial and regretted the resulting confusion.
The lawyer emphasized that RouandYT is not a suspect in the case and was only called as a witness, adding that no conclusion can be drawn that the prank call caused the shooting.
However, prosecutors previously stated that Efe Y. Was called by RouandYT just before opening fire, dared the caller to meet at the blue bridge in Piet Wiedijkpark, and then went there himself.
Upon arrival, Efe Y. Allegedly opened fire on three teenagers sitting on two bicycles, killing 16-year-old Mohammad Nor and 18-year-old Mohammed Al Mukrasi instantly, while the 17-year-old narrowly escaped.
The prosecutor said the victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time, with no opportunity for conversation or confrontation before the shooting.
Efe Y. Remains in custody until at least July 8 pending the next court hearing, and is scheduled for psychiatric evaluation at the Pieter Baan Centre.
Prosecutors maintain the prank call preceded the shooting
Prosecutors say Efe Y. Received the prank call shortly before the shooting, responded by naming the blue bridge in Piet Wiedijkpark as a meeting point, and then traveled there armed.
The call was allegedly funded by a viewer donation, with the caller posing as a gangster from Rotterdam-Zuid threatening over fictitious money, according to reports from Amsterdam outlet AT5 cited in other reports.
Efe Y. Was diagnosed with complex PTSD and schizophrenia and had been off medication for six months, was under a care order, and is set for observation at the Pieter Baan Centre.
RouandYT denies involvement despite acknowledgment of the call
RouandYT told AT5 he was not live that day and denied involvement in the shooting, though the livestream was reportedly deleted after the fact.
Dutch police say they already have a recording of the livestream, and investigators cite evidence including a silver firearm recovered from Efe Y.’s family home, gunshot residue on his trousers, and WhatsApp messages referencing a gun and avoiding police.
Efe Y. Allegedly told a witness shortly after the shooting that he was the shooter and mentioned a third victim who had escaped, a detail not yet public at the time.
What is RouandYT’s current legal status in the case?
RouandYT is not a suspect and was only called as a witness, according to his lawyer Gerald Roethof.
What evidence do prosecutors have linking the prank call to the shooting?
Prosecutors state Efe Y. Received the call shortly before opening fire, named the blue bridge as the meeting point after being dared, and then traveled there to shoot the teenagers.