Suspect in Amsterdam stabbing had several ID's; Femke Halsema thanks good samaritan
The man who stabbed five people in Amsterdam city center on Thursday has still not been identified. Police have said that they are aware of a possible identity, but the man has several different documents, therefore, they are waiting for confirmation before releasing any details. It was also reported that the man used several knives in the attack.
All five of the man’s victims are said to be in stable condition. One victim, a 26-year-old man from Poland, has left the hospital. The other victims, which included two American nationals, a Belgian woman, and a woman from Amsterdam, are all still in the hospital.
Officers still do not know the motive of the man, with terrorism currently not being ruled out. The suspect is currently being held at the prison in Scheveningen after he was treated in the hospital for a leg injury, which he sustained due to being tackled by a bystander before the arrest.
The suspect checked into a hotel in Amsterdam on March 26. Officers were seen conducting a raid on a hotel on the Damrak on Thursday evening.
The incident occurred at around 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. The victims seemed to be chosen at random. The stabbings occurred on the Sint Nicolaasstraat, Nieuwezijdse Voorburgwal, and the Gravenstraat.
The man was arrested after a tourist overpowered him and sat on the man until he was arrested. The city’s mayor, Femke Halsema, thanked the Good Samaritan on Instagram. “We owe it to an ordinary citizen who conducted a citizen arrest so that the perpetrator could be detained immediately.”
Halsema is set to meet the man on Friday afternoon when she visits Dam Square. She will also meet several of the nearby residents who have been shocked by the incident. She will also speak to police officers and Victim Support Netherlands employees.
