A hole the size of a tennis ball in the glass. That was the damage to the window of the Cuts by Turner barbershop after last weekend’s shooting. Owner Anouar Bouyaouzan has since felt treated as a perpetrator and he is done with that.
The bullet caused enormous havoc in the barbershop on Kastanjelaan early on Saturday. “There were shards of glass and splinters everywhere,” Anouar says, still shocked. “At first I thought a rock had gone through the window. It was not until the next day that I heard through the newspaper that it was a bullet.”
The attack was linked to drug trafficking in the media. Something the young hairdresser wants to get rid of. “I have absolutely nothing to do with that.”
“I am unlucky.”
It is not yet known why the bullet ended up in his case. According to Anouar, a detective told him that it was pure bad luck. Shots were fired from Papaverstraat and the bullet went straight through a car and ended up in his shop window. “I am unlucky.”
A police spokesperson said that it is indeed one of the scenarios being taken into account. “But we are still very busy with our research.”
Anouar thinks it is a shame that there are now so many stories about him and his business. “Because if something is wrong with a Moroccan hairdresser, it must be a bit of a mess.” For example, he was annoyed that last year’s shooting was also included. A 55-year-old man died at the time, not far from where the hairdresser now works. “But then my case wasn’t even there yet.”
The residents of Bergen do understand the feeling of unrest in the neighbourhood. “Because there are deals on the street. Not only here, but also a few blocks away.” And, according to him, there are indeed young customers in his business with expensive cars. “But I don’t ask how they got there. None of my business.”
Despite the shooting incident, Anouar continues to cut. The shards have been cleared and the window will soon be replaced. “I spent a lot of time building up the business with my father and I’m even finishing my education in the meantime. I am proud of that and I am not deterred.”
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