Stabbing at Albert Heijn in The Hague leaves employee dead
Update 11:08 a.m. - The victim was identified by police as a woman working in the store. Police said the suspect is a 56-year-old man.
A stabbing at an Albert Heijn grocery store in the center of The Hague left one person dead at the scene on Tuesday morning. An arrest was made in the immediate aftermath. A police officer also suffered minor injuries.
The stabbing took place inside the store on the Turfmarkt. It was not immediately clear what led to the incident just after 7 a.m.
“One person has died. Soon after the incident, we were able to arrest a suspect,” police confirmed in a brief statement. The suspect was reportedly detained on Schedeldoekshaven about a hundred meters away from the crime scene.
Visibly shaken and crying, the Albert Heijn workers were led to a Leiden University building near the grocery store, local media said.
Police confirmed reports of an injured police officer, according to Omroep West. A freelance journalist at the scene also indicated another person was hurt, but that has not been confirmed by authorities.
Records show police raced to the scene along with at least three ambulances. A trauma team was also dispatched to the scene by helicopter, but the helicopter was waved off and did not land in the area.
There have been several reports of nuisance near Turfmarkt recently, which is just a short walk from the city’s central train station. Over the weekend, a woman was reportedly taken into custody for making threats with a large knife on the square.
Earlier this month, rail operator NS and railroad manager ProRail asked the city for help in dealing with the sharp rise in nuisance and property crimes at the station. They also noted that violent incidents against passengers there have tripled in a year, and violence against employees has doubled.
The investigation into the stabbing was ongoing, police said. Anyone who witnessed the incident was asked to contact police.
