EDE, Netherlands — A harrowing hostage situation that began early Saturday at a nightclub in the eastern Dutch town of Ede came to a dramatic conclusion hours later when police arrested a lone gunman after he released his final captive.
The unidentified suspect had stormed into Café Petticoat around 7am, threatening to detonate explosives while taking four employees hostage, according to Dutch media reports. An armed police force quickly cordoned off the area as terrified patrons fled the chaos.
“There was no indication of a terrorist motive,” authorities stated, working to calm resident fears in the normally quiet community of 115,000 about 50 miles southeast of Amsterdam.
Tense negotiations ensued for over six hours before the perpetrator released three of the hostages one by one. But the high-stakes standoff showed no signs of resolution until just before 2pm local time, when the final hostage emerged safely and the suspect was taken into custody.
As the situation unfolded, police evacuated approximately 150 nearby homes as the town center went into lockdown mode. Explosives experts dressed in protective gear were visible throughout the scene, underscoring the grave threat. Train service was temporarily halted during the crisis.
While shaken, none of the hostages required hospitalization. Investigators are still probing the circumstances and motive behind the brazen attack that upended this quiet community.
