Police: No terrorist motive in Hague stabbings

Investigators have found no indications of a terrorist motive after three people were stabbed on a busy shopping street in The Hague, Dutch police said on Sunday. The actual motive is still unknown.

The suspect in the knife attack, a 35-year-old homeless man, was arrested at a homeless shelter in the city center on late Saturday afternoon. He was taken to a police station where he was being questioned on Sunday.

“The exact circumstances of the stabbing incident are still unclear,” police said in a statement. “At the moment there are no indications to suggest it involves a terrorist motive. What the motive was is still being investigated.”

The incident happened at about 7:45 p.m. on Friday when three teenagers – a 13-year-old boy and two 15-year-old girls – were stabbed outside Hudson’s Bay in the city center. It was extremely busy at the time because of sales for Black Friday.

The stabbing victims were treated at a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries and all were released within hours. None of them knew each other.