Police Respond to Hostage Situation at Apple Store in Amsterdam – CNET [CNET]

Police in Amsterdam are responding Tuesday to a hostage situation at a flagship Apple store in Leidseplein, a popular shopping and entertainment area in the city. 

“There is an ongoing hostage situation at the Apple Store at Leidseplein at the moment,” police said on an official Twitter account. “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.”

Police said a person with a firearm was in the store and 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.

“Since the start of the hostage situation in the Apple Store on Leidseplein, several people have been able to leave the building,” Amsterdam police tweeted at 11:53 a.m. PT. “We do not want to share any information about the situation in and around the building at the moment.”

A robbery was first reported at around 5:40 p.m. local time, according to local broadcaster AT5. One man is 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 about a police officer mentioning a possible explosion hazard. The Netherlands Special Interventions Service is also responding to the scene.

Multiple posts on social media show footage of the ongoing event, despite being cautioned by the police not to share information.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.