“Serious threat” forces evacuation of TV studio linked to De Vries shooting
The Amsterdam television studio where RTL Boulevard is produced was evacuated on Saturday in response to unspecified threats that were made, the program announced on its website. Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries was shot in the head on Tuesday while walking to his car after appearing on the show.
Information about the threat was passed on to the producers from the Amsterdam triad, comprised of the mayor and the local heads of the police and the Public Prosecution Service. A spokesperson for the city would not confirm to RTL Nieuws, NOS or ANP the nature of the threat.
The producers cancelled Saturday’s 6:35 p.m. live broadcast on RTL 4 as a precaution. Instead, a tribute to De Vries that aired the day after the shooting will be shown.
"We are now in consultation about how things will continue tomorrow," the broadcaster said. "Safety comes first."
The television studio is accessed from the city’s bustling Leidseplein. The city said it has stepped up protection in the area since De Vries was shot on Lange Leidsedwarsstraat a short distance away.
"Visible and invisible measures are being taken at the studio on Leidseplein," a city spokesperson told RTL Nieuws
After he was shot on Tuesday, De Vries was taken by ambulance to an area hospital in critical condition. He was still reportedly unresponsive and his condition was unchanged on Friday, though there were reports that he was breathing on his own and had a stable pulse.
Two men were arrested within an hour of the shooting, Delano G., 21, and Kamil Pawel E., 35. The younger suspect is thought to be the person who shot De Vries. He lives in Rotterdam and maintains an address in Tiel.
The older suspect is originally from Poland, and lives in Maurik with his pregnant wife and their children. He is believed to be the getaway driver.
Both men were remanded into pre-trial detention on Friday.
