Suriname knife attacker found dead in his cell, after killing 9 people including his own children

PARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) — The man who reportedly stabbed nine people to death in Suriname on Sunday, including four of his children, died by suicide while in custody, police said on Monday.

In a statement, Suriname's Police Corps said 43-year-old Dennis Aroma was found lifeless on Monday morning in a cell at a police station in central Paramaribo. Officials gave no other details.

Aroma was accused of going on a rampage in Richelieu in the district of Commewijne, about 15 miles from the capital Paramaribo during the early hours of Sunday. When police arrived on the scene, he resisted arrest and was shot in the leg. After receiving treatment at a local hospital he was transferred to the Keizerstraat police station in Paramaribo.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect had a history of mental illness. According to neighbors, Aroma had been arguing over the phone with his wife, with whom he no longer lived. The conflict centered on picking up the children after the woman reportedly indicated that she did not want to come to the address herself and would send someone else to pick them up.

After the argument, the suspect reportedly became completely distraught, killing four of his own children and five neighbors, including another child.

The country’s Minister of Justice Harish Monorath and Social Affairs and Housing Minister Diana Pokie visited the scene of the murders on Sunday.

Pokie said the incident has had a profound impact on both the affected community and Surinamese society. “The impact is enormous, but as Surinamese, we are known for our solidarity. Let us hold on to that and support each other,” Pokie said.

Monorath said that the investigation into the murders is being led by the Public Prosecutor's Office and will focus, among other things, on whether the suspect had previously received psychiatric treatment.

Suriname's President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, had earlier expressed shock and disbelief.

“At a time when family and friends should be holding on to and supporting each other, we are confronted with the harsh reality that there is another side to the world," the president wrote on her Facebook page.

“The Government not only sympathizes with the bereaved families but also takes responsibility for learning lessons from this tragedy,” she said. Monorath said that Suriname's government will pay for the funerals of all the victims.

Suriname, a former Dutch colony, is the smallest independent nation in South America, with a population of approximately 600,000 people. It has traditionally had one of the lowest murder rates in the region. But the murder rate spiked in 2024 to 30 homicides per 100,000 residents, according to data gathered by the think tank Insight Crime.