Arrest of Man Who Entered Television Studio in the Netherlands with a Gun

A 19-year-old man, armed with a fake handgun, forcibly entered one of the studios of the national television network NOS in the Netherlands, demanding to be given a chance to speak on air; he was arrested shortly thereafter. The young man, dressed in a black suit and tie, reportedly threatened a security guard with the gun as he entered one of the studios on the evening of February 9. No shots were fired during his entry and arrest, and Dutch police later announced that his gun was fake. Footage from cameras in the empty studio shows the man walking around. He had actually entered a studio that was not recording any program. Shortly after, police entered the same studio; the man dropped his gun and surrendered. According to Reuters, officials say the young man lived in the town of Pinaker in central Netherlands, but no further details have been provided. Earlier reports indicated that he had recently lost his parents, was a student, and was not on any terrorism watch list. Officials have yet to respond to these reports. It remains unclear what his intentions were. Recorded footage shows him stating, 'There are things that need to be said (pause) regarding important global events. We have been hired by the security organization.' No one was harmed during the incident, but the national television of the Netherlands had to cancel two of its main and popular evening news programs.