Suriname Stabbing Attack: Nine Dead, Including Five Children, in Quiet Village
Nine people, five of them children, were fatally stabbed in a quiet Suriname village, shocking the small South American nation.
A Nightmare in Nieuw Amsterdam
Residents of Nieuw Amsterdam, a sleepy district on the eastern edge of Suriname’s capital, woke Sunday to sirens and sobs. By sunrise, word had spread: nine people—five of them children—lay dead inside a modest yellow house on Concordiastraat, their lives ended by a knife-wielding assailant who, police say, calmly surrendered when officers arrived.
‘I Thought It Was a Joke’
“We heard screaming, then silence,” recalled neighbor Marlon Djorai, 42, still shaking hours later. “I thought it was a joke—kids playing. Then the police came with dogs and guns.”
“I’ve lived here 30 years. Nothing like this has ever happened. We don’t even lock our doors at night.”
— Marlon Djorai, neighbor
Timeline of Terror
- 11:42 p.m. Saturday: First 911 call reports “people bleeding” inside the home.
- 11:47 p.m.: Paramedics and patrol units arrive; suspect found sitting on the porch, knife beside him.
- 12:05 a.m. Sunday: Victims pronounced dead at scene; ages range from 2 to 35.
- 1:15 a.m.: 26-year-old male, identified only as “R.D.”, arrested without resistance.
‘He Was Family’
Investigators believe the suspect is a relative of the victims, though they have not disclosed motive. Forensic teams spent the night cataloging more than 100 wounds; autopsies are scheduled in Paramaribo Monday. National mourning flags will fly at half-staff for three days, President Chan Santokhi announced.
A Nation Reels
Suriname, population 630,000, averages fewer than 30 homicides per year. Saturday’s massacre equals the country’s entire 2022 knife-death toll in a single night. Social media flooded with candle emojis and the hashtag #NieuwAmsterdam9, while local radio stations suspended music for rolling coverage.
“This is not just a family tragedy; it is a scar on the soul of our nation.”
— President Chan Santokhi
What Happens Next
Prosecutors will seek a fast-track indictment under Suriname’s anti-terror clause, citing the scale of the attack. Mental-health professionals have been dispatched to nearby schools; crisis hotlines report a 400% spike in calls. The house, now wrapped in yellow tape, has become an impromptu memorial: teddy bears, flowers, and handwritten notes in Dutch and Sranan Tongo reading, “Why?”