Man arrested for teen stabbings on Hague shopping street
Police in the Netherlands arrested a 35-year-old man in connection with the stabbings of three teenagers on the Grote Marktstraat in Den Haag. The man, with no fixed address, was being taken to a police station where investigators planned to interrogate him, Den Haag police said in a statement.
No suspected motive was released immediately after the arrest. Earlier on Saturday, authorities went so far as to say, "The precise nature of the incident is currently unclear."
The victims include two 15-year-old girls, one from Alphen aan den Rijn and one from Leiderdorp, and a 13-year-old boy from Den Haag. "The victims do not know each other," police said earlier on Saturday. All three were released from the hospital shortly before midnight.
The incident took place Friday at about 7:45 p.m. in front of the Hudson's Bay location on the famed shopping street.as people filled the area looking for Black Friday deals. A Hudson's Bay spokesperson told broadcaster NOS that the teenage girls who were stabbed ran into the store in a panic after they were injured.
"I saw two girls screaming and running away. A man fled," one witness said, according to the broadcaster. "He jumped very athletically over benches to get away. He looked like a cheetah."
Ambulances and police officers raced to the scene, and a trauma team was dispatched by helicopter. The crime scene was secured, the victims were transported to an area hospital, and forensic experts combed the crime scene looking for trace evidence.
Investigators were able to question the victims, who were also offered support service. Anyone who witnessed the crime, or who was in the area and shocked by what happened, was also able to contact police to be connected with victim assistance.
Authorities also asked that anyone contact them with information, pictures, or videos related to the crime.
