Police say the Apple Store hostage situation has ended.
Charles M Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImageA hostage situation at an Apple Store in Amsterdam on Tuesday ended with the hostage being freed and the suspect being taken into custody after he was struck by a police vehicle as he ran from the store.
“The hostage is safe,” police said. “We have now been able to bring even more people who were in the building to safety.”
No explosives were found on the suspect, who was taken to hospital, police said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
Earlier Tuesday evening local time, police reported on an official Twitter account that there was “an ongoing hostage situation at the Apple Store at Leidseplein,” a popular shopping and entertainment area in the city. Police said that a person with a firearm was in the store and that specialist units were at the scene to get the “situation under control.” They cleared the square where the store is located and asked people in Leidseplein to stay inside.
Amsterdam police provided updates throughout the situation via Twitter, tweeting at 11:53 a.m. PT that “several people” were able to get out of the building. At 1:15 p.m. PT, they said “dozens of people” had left the Apple Store and were being taken to a police location to provide witness statements and be given victim support services.
A robbery was first reported at around 5:40 p.m. local time (8:40 a.m. PT), according to local broadcaster AT5. One man was involved in the situation, Amsterdam newspaper Het Parool reported. The man exited the Apple store before seeing police, taking a hostage and reentering the store, the newspaper said, citing eyewitnesses.
AT5 also reported that witnesses had heard gunshots. One Het Parool reporter at the scene tweeted that a police officer mentioned a possible explosion hazard. The Netherlands Special Interventions Service also responded to the scene.
Multiple posts on social media showed footage of the incident, despite people being cautioned by police not to share information.
Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment but said the store would remain closed until Friday morning.
