Police officers are surrounding Apple Amsterdam in Leidseplein following reports that a gunman entered the store. A video shared on Twitter showed a man in a balaclava holding a gun while gripping a possible hostage, and Amsterdam police have confirmed that there is indeed a hostage situation.
People in surrounding buildings have been ordered to stay indoors, and the area around the store has been cordoned off. The attack happened at 5:40 p.m. local time, and Amsterdam police are not providing additional information to ensure the safety of all people involved.
There is an ongoing hostage situation at the Apple Store at Leidseplein at the moment. To ensure the safety of all people involved we are not able to share information about the situation and/or actions taken by the police. — Politie Eenheid Amsterdam (@POL_Amsterdam) February 22, 2022
More detail on what's going on can be sourced from local Amsterdam news sites such as Het Parool, De Telegraaf, NOS, and AT5, which are providing updates.
Update: Police have confirmed that several people that were being held hostage at the Amsterdam Apple Store have been freed. No other information has been shared. "Since the start of the hostage situation in the Apple Store on Leidseplein, several people have been able to leave the building. We do not want to share any information about the situation in and around the building at the moment."
Update 2: The remaining hostage is safe and the hostage taker is now in police custody.
Top Rated Comments
BTW Amsterdam is a very safe city... almost an order of magnitude more safe than any US city (and I've lived in SF, NYC, LA, PHX)... this is a once in a decade or more sort of thing! Terrible!
It sounds like the hostage situation has ended safely! Let's hope it is!