There were many police on the ground in the Het Paradijs shopping center in Hoofddorp at the beginning of the evening. Someone was said to be walking around with a firearm, which ultimately turned out to be a fake firearm.
The message came according to the Haarlems Dagblad in around 6:30 PM. The police then started a search at the Het Paradijs shopping center at the Muiderbos in Hoofddorp.
After an investigation, during which the police helicopter was also deployed, someone was found in possession of a fake weapon, according to a police spokesperson.
Additional research
Although the search was stopped when the police found the fake weapon, video footage is also being examined to definitively rule out that it was another person with a real firearm.
The police will talk to the person who had the fake weapon and emphasize that fake weapons can cause a lot of panic among bystanders.