A well-known Dutch crime reporter was rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds on Tuesday after being attacked in broad daylight in central Amsterdam.
Peter R. de Vries, a journalist and TV presenter who regularly speaks on behalf of victims, was shot up to five times including once in the head, according to eyewitnesses.
Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema told a news conference the 64-year-old was "fighting for his life".
Police said three people had been arrested, among them the suspected shooter, but gave no details on the possible reasons for the attack.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte told a press conference in The Hague the attack was "shocking and inconceivable".
"It's an attack on a courageous journalist and by extension an attack on the freedom of the press, which is so essential for our democracy and rule of law," he said.
De Vries had appeared on a TV show filmed in Amsterdam earlier on Tuesday.
"This is a black day, not only for the people close to Peter R. de Vries, but also for the freedom of the press," Justice Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus told journalists.