Knife Attack in Amsterdam Injures Five, Including Two Americans
AMSTERDAM, March 27 – A knife-wielding assailant seriously wounded five people, including two U.S. citizens, in a stabbing attack on a busy shopping street in Amsterdam on Thursday, Dutch police said.
The attack, which lasted several minutes, was halted by a passerby near the city’s Dam Square in the late afternoon. Authorities cordoned off the area, and emergency services, including several ambulances and a trauma helicopter, responded to the scene.
Police said the victims included a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man from the United States, a 73-year-old woman from Belgium, a 26-year-old man from Poland, and a 19-year-old Dutch woman from Amsterdam.
“The police investigation is in full swing and has full priority at the moment. We hope to soon get more clarity about the background of this horrible stabbing,” Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and loved ones.”
Authorities have not established a motive for the attack but are considering the possibility that the suspect targeted victims at random.
The assailant was injured while being subdued by a civilian before being taken into custody. “The suspect was detained with the help of a bystander,” police spokesperson Eline Roovers told The Associated Press.
Amsterdam has seen several stabbings in recent years, some linked to individuals with mental health issues. The city launched a hotline last month for residents to report concerns about irrational behavior, following an investigation into a fatal stabbing last year involving a neighbor dispute. Police continue to investigate the incident.
