A man wielding a knife seriously wounded five people in Amsterdam, including two from the U.S., during a stabbing attack in a shopping district on Thursday, according to Dutch police.
The Associated Press said police noted the attack, which lasted for several minutes, ended when the suspect was stopped by a passerby near the city’s Dam Square late Thursday afternoon.
Police closed off the area, which was tended to by emergency crews who responded in ambulances and a trauma helicopter.
In a statement, authorities said the motive for the attack had not been established, though police were investigating a situation where the suspect randomly targeted victims.
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Authorities identified the victims as a 69-year-old man and 67-year-old woman from the U.S.; a 73-year-old woman from Belgium; a 26-year-old man from Poland; and a 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam.
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“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. “Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and loved ones.”
Police told the AP that the suspect was injured when a bystander overpowered him.
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“The suspect was detained with the help of a civilian,” police spokesperson Eline Roovers told the AP.
Guido Oostorm, another spokesperson for the police department, said the victims had been taken to area hospitals for treatment.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that two U.S. citizens were injured during the incident.
“The U.S. Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas,” the spokesperson said. “We are closely following reports of a stabbing in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We extend our sympathies to the victims and to the families of those affected. We can confirm that two U.S. citizens were injured. Due to privacy and other considerations, we have no further comment.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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