Hostage cashier freed, attacker "neutralized" (photo)
Follow the events of October 1 in a Minsk mall where a cashier was taken hostage by an armed man.
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16:50 Press Secretary of Minsk police Alyaksandr Lastouski reported that the perpetrator is neutralized, but did not specify what it meant. Later, there were reports that the attacker was taken away in an ambulance: he was "neutralized" after long unsuccessful negotiations.
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16:10 Witnesses of the attack in the Minsk exchange office: Girl was screaming a lot.
Euroradio learned the details of the attack from one of the mall Shchastse staff.
According to her, the cashier girl was leaving for lunch. "This guy was waiting for her outside the exchange office. And as soon as she was about to leave, he pushed her inside and covered her mouth. There were men nearby. When they all saw it, they closed the door, the keys were left outside. The girl was screaming a lot."
According to the employee, they are now all closed in a cafe in the shopping center.
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15:53 The representative of the Investigative Committee Yulia Gancharova officially confirmed that the perpetrator took hostage the cashier of the exchange office. She also said that the assailant is a middle aged man and not a young guy. He had an object resembling a weapon on him.
Security service is working along with the police officers.
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15:14 According to a local resident Volga, tut.by reports that the perpetrator is a well-dressed man in his thirties.
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15:06. A worker of the shopping center told Euroradio that the cashier is a young girl. She did not know her surname, as the girls in the exchange office change frequently. Also the mall worker reported that the attack occurred around 1 pm.
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It is reported that an unknown perpetrator attacked the exchange office of the BelSwissbank at the Shchastse mall which is in the metro Uschod area.
The perpetrator took hostage the female cashier. Onliner.by reported the incident with reference to the reader. It is said that the man may have a firearm on him. Special police arrived at the scene.
"Everything was quiet. I was sitting there working. I heard female screams. Apparently, the man broke into the exchange office, began threatening the cashier. What he had with him wass unclear. Probably a gun. Soon all of the shopping center visitors and employees were forced our. Now there are three police cars at the entrance. Guys in flak jackets went inside, one in a suit," said an eyewitness.
Euroradio correspondent Artsiom Martynovich reported from the scene that there is an ambulance near the shopping center. The area around it is cordoned off with tape.
According to unofficial information, administration of the city police came to spot. Euroradio correspondent also saw that a priest approached the officers.
The representative of Minsk Investigative Committee Alyaksandr Gerasimau said that they received a message: nside went a man with an object similar to a gun. Special group was working on-site.
According to one version of events, the attacker waited until the cashier started coming out of the exchange offcice, pushed her inside and locked himself up with her.
