Man Holds Saleswoman Hostage Overnight in Berlin

Since Friday evening, authorities have been dealing with a hostage situation at a Rewe supermarket in Berlin. Shortly after 10 p.m., just as the store was closing, an unknown man pulled out a large knife and took one of the employees hostage, according to Welt.

A 22-year-old part-time worker alerted the police after he and another colleague managed to escape the building in time. According to him, the woman was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The perpetrator's motive remains unknown to police at this time.

The drama continued into Saturday morning, with police using a ladder to monitor the situation directly through the store's windows. Later, a police spokesperson confirmed to the German Press Agency that the perpetrator had been subdued and the hostage freed.

A large number of police officers, firefighters and ambulances responded to the scene of the incident. An elite special operations unit was deployed in front of the supermarket, and according to the German daily Bild, police snipers were positioned on the rooftops.

Behind police barricades, several evacuated employees who had been inside at the time of the attack waited wrapped in thermal blankets. All eyewitnesses will be interviewed in turn by the state criminal police office.

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