The Amsterdam store where a hostage situation ended with no injuries to the public or the suspect in custody has been praised by Apple.
Apple said in a statement that all employees and customers are safe after the experience at Apple Amsterdam.
"We want to thank local law enforcement for their exceptional work and ongoing investigation," said the statement, provided by an Apple spokesperson. "Our teams and customers took swift action and showed incredible strength and resolve today, and we are so thankful for the support and care they've shown each other under such challenging circumstances."
The statement came hours after local police resolved the hostage situation at the flagship store, which saw a man in camouflage gear and a balaclava fire a gun at least four times and hold at least one person hostage for several hours before being arrested.
The photo was shared by Het Parool and it showed the hostage taker sitting next to the hostage who was handcuffed behind his back. Several other people were also inside when the incident began, but they escaped unharmed.
People in surrounding buildings were ordered to stay indoors after the store was attacked. According to police, the hostage-taker contacted authorities during the incident and demanded a safe exit from the Apple store.
The hostage-taker requested water which was taken into the store by a robot, at which point the hostage attempted to run to safety. The suspect was hit by an armored BMW X5 as he ran after the hostage, and then checked for explosives by a robot, which was confirmed by the fact that no explosives were present.
The suspect sent selfies to the local press during the incident that appeared to show him wearing a bomb vest, according to the police. An automatic weapon and a handgun were in the suspect's possession. He is believed to have acted alone.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
