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Gunman takes hostages at Apple store in Amsterdam – reports Gunman takes hostages at Amsterdam’s Apple Store – reports
(32 minutes later)
Police are responding to a suspected hostage situation in the Dutch city Police are responding to a suspected armed robbery in the Dutch city
A hostage situation is reportedly unfolding at an Apple store in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, with police closing off the nearby area and positioning armed officers outside. One local media outlet said witnesses reported hearing gunshots at the scene. A hostage situation is reportedly unfolding at an Apple Store in Amsterdam, with police closing off the nearby area and positioning armed officers outside. One local media outlet said eyewitnesses had reported hearing gunshots at the scene.
Footage shared on social media by eyewitnesses shows a large police presence in the area, with the surrounding streets apparently devoid of pedestrians. Some of the videos posted online show a gunman gesturing inside the store while holding onto a possible hostage.  Footage shared on social media shows a large police presence in the area, with the surrounding streets apparently devoid of pedestrians. Some of the videos posted show a gunman inside the store gesturing while holding onto a possible hostage. 
One clip from the scene – apparently filmed through the window of the store from a café across the street – shows a man in a dark hoodie holding a second individual by the neck with one hand, while waving a gun with his other hand. Police are shown in another video running to the scene to join officers who are already positioned across from the Apple store, some with weapons drawn. One clip, apparently filmed from a café across the street, shows a man in a dark hoodie holding a second individual by the neck with one hand and waving around a gun with the other. Police are shown in another video running to the scene to join officers already positioned across from the Apple Store, some with their weapons drawn.
“Due to a report at a shop on Leidseplein, police are now deployed there,” Amsterdam Police said in a statement on Twitter.  “Due to a report at a shop on Leidseplein, police are now deployed there,” the city’s law enforcement agency said in a statement on Twitter. In a later update, it said specialist units were being brought in to help “get the situation under control.”
The store in question is in central Amsterdam’s Leidseplein Square area, which is normally a busy hub of nightlife and entertainment venues. Police were reportedly called to the area around 5:40 p.m. local time over a possible armed robbery at the Apple store. The store in question is in central Amsterdam’s Leidseplein – usually a busy hub of nightlife and entertainment. Police were called to the square at around 5.40pm local time to attend what was reported to be an armed robbery in progress.
According to local reporters on the scene, police have evacuated buildings close to the Apple store. According to Dutch outlet, Het Parool, the incident began when two masked men tried to leave the store. On seeing police nearby, they reportedly grabbed a bystander and went back into the Apple shop, taking the man inside as a hostage. Officers have since evacuated buildings close to the Apple Store, while visitors to cafes in the area have reportedly been told to stay away from the windows.
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