The man who reportedly stabbed nine people to death in Suriname on Sunday (December 28, 2025), including four of his children, died by suicide while in custody, police said on Monday (December 29, 2025).
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.
