10/03/2026
''I wasn’t supposed to work that day. I had swapped shifts with a colleague. I’ve always been an Apple fanboy. I was the kid who would stand in line for hours to get the latest iPhone. I loved everything about the brand and what it stood for. I even moved to Amsterdam specifically to work at the beautiful flagship store on Leidseplein. So when I finally got the job, it truly felt like a dream come true.
That day was February 22nd, 2022. My colleagues and I had been joking about how many proposals and babies there would be on such a symbolic date. Just before closing, a young man in his early twenties walked into the store. I remember thinking, “Great, this is going to be a nice last sale of the day.”
I helped him out and eventually he decided which laptop he wanted. While we waited for the runner to bring it downstairs, he pointed to a display and asked, “Is that the new, expensive Mac that just came in?” So, I walked over with him to show it to him.
When I returned to my counter all of a sudden people were running in every direction. Working in the Apple Store in the city center, I wasn’t a stranger to chaotic situations. With so many expensive products, thefts weren’t unusual. So, I wasn’t thinking much of it.
But then I turned around and I saw a bearded man in camouflage, carrying two semi-automatic weapons and wearing a bomb vest.
The shooter came running towards me while firing shots. I tapped my client on the back and said, “We need to go now to emergency exit now!’’
We took off running. Right before the emergency door, we passed by the elevator and I spotted two women standing there, waiting. I’ve always been taught: never take the elevator in an emergency. So, in that moment, I told them to follow me.
As the shooter got closer, we crouched behind a tree-like structure. And I realized that there was no way we would make it to the emergency exit in time.
Right next to the elevator there was a storage closet. Normally, my key card wouldn't give me access, but I remembered I still had my old access pass with me. I held it up to the door and it worked so we all rushed inside to hide.
From that moment on, I completely lost track of time. The closet was barely two by two meters, and the walls were thin. The police had no idea where we were, so I knew that if they started shooting at the suspect, we could easily get caught in the crossfire.
I felt responsible for the others in the closet. They were my clients. I was the one who had led them there, and I wanted to make sure we all got out alive.
So, I took charge. I got on the phone with the police. They helped me stay focused, and because I knew the layout of the building, I was able to guide them to the correct entrances.
Gunshots echoed through the building as we tried to stay as quiet as possible inside the closet. We could hear the shooter yelling, but we had no idea what was happening outside. And because he was wearing a bomb vest, I kept bracing myself for the moment he might blow himself up.
Meanwhile, the media had started reporting live on the situation. At some point, we realized that others had been rescued from the upper floors. But we were still downstairs in the closet—with the shooter still in the building. We were trapped.
Then, a gossip channel posted that four people were hiding in the storage closet. My heart dropped. That was terrifying because the shooter was constantly communicating and watching the news as well.
I was convinced we were going to die. I sent goodbye messages to my family and my son.
Suddenly, we heard a loud bang. I asked the negotiator, “What was that?” He calmly replied, “Nothing, just a bike that fell.” Later, I found out that was the exact moment they captured the shooter.
Then, there was a loud knock on the door “Police! Police!” We saw a flood of heavily armed officers. That’s when we were finally escorted out.
My perception of time was gone but later I learned that we’ve spend 330 minutes in the closet.
Apple arranged a taxi for me and after that I didn’t hear from them. No call. No message. Nothing. Three weeks later, I contacted them myself.
I’m not allowed to talk about what happened after that, but I can say this: if I ever go near the Apple Store with someone, I have to wait outside.
Those 330 minutes in the storage closet changed my life forever. I fell into a dark place. I can’t work anymore. Sudden noises terrify me. I can’t focus my mind is constantly scanning the room. I count how many people are inside. Who’s coming in? Who’s going out?
I keep asking myself what I did wrong. As a kid, I was taught that when you do something right, you get a compliment.
I received many messages from people and even an award from the mayor for what I did. But from Apple, there was never any recognition. No one ever said, “You did the right thing.”
To this day, I still struggle with that.
The shooter’s name was Abdel. The strange thing is, in some ways, I understand him. I absolutely do not condone what he did, and I’m angry about what he put me through, but I know what it feels like to be unseen.
I was six weeks old when my biological mother gave me up. I’ve experienced many traumatic events in my life, and to this day, I haven’t been able to process what happened during the hostage situation because I’ve never felt acknowledged by my former employer.
When you feel unseen it makes you feel desperate.’’
