Man with gun takes hostages at Amsterdam Apple retailer: Police

Police despatched particular items after receiving enter {that a} man with a gun had taken a number of folks hostage at an Apple retailer.

Police despatched particular items after receiving enter {that a} man with a gun had taken a number of folks hostage at an Apple retailer. (Representational pic)

Dutch police mentioned on Tuesday they’d despatched particular items to a central sq. in Amsterdam as a result of a person with a gun had taken a number of folks hostage at an Apple retailer there.

Several video clips on broadcaster AT5’s web site appeared to indicate an individual being held within the retailer at gunpoint.

“There is a person with a firearm in the store … police forces are there with many units and specialist units at the scene to get the situation under control,” Amsterdam police tweeted.

“We are restricting information about the situation in the Apple Store … in order not to upset our investigation and efforts there,” they mentioned. They later confirmed the state of affairs is a hostage-taking, with out specifying what number of hostages there have been.

Police cleared the sq. and requested neighbors to stay inside and never come exterior to look at.

The Apple retailer is positioned at one finish of the upscale Leidseplein, a sq. on the south aspect of Amsterdam’s centre.

The Netherlands’ largest metropolis noticed a spate of 4 armed robberies of cell phone shops in 2021, prompting some shops to take away most of their cellphone provides, which have been being focused. None of the robberies had been within the metropolis centre nevertheless.

Gun violence is just not unusual within the Netherlands, however hostage takings are extraordinarily uncommon.

In 2015 a person with a gun broke right into a TV studio demanding display time. No one was injured and the person was later convicted of hostage taking.

And in 2002 a gunman took hostages at an workplace constructing he mistakenly thought belonged to Philips Electronics. He killed himself and didn’t hurt any hostages.

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