Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘iHostage’ follows the events of the February evening in 2022, when everything went haywire for people inside an Apple store in Amsterdam. Abdel Rahman Akkad entered the building with guns and explosives, intending to hold everyone hostage so he could have his demands met by the authorities. However, in the chaos that ensued, everyone tried to run. In the movie, we see the store employee, Mingus, thinking on his feet as he leads three customers to a broom closet so that they can hide from the shooter. Later, this move turns out to be the thing that saves all of their lives.
Alex Manuputty Was Convinced That Fateful Day Would be His Last
Alex Manuputty was not supposed to be at the Apple store on February 22, 2022. He had been working at the store since 2019, and it was supposed to be his day off. However, one of his colleagues asked to swap shifts with him, and he agreed to it. Later, Alex noted that the day was a quiet one and not as rushed as the evenings generally are. He was occupied with helping a customer when Abdel Rahman Akkad entered with a semi-automatic weapon and a handgun, in addition to a bomb vest. Alex revealed that the moment he saw Akkad, he knew things would turn pretty bad. His first thought was to escape the place, but he also didn’t want to get in sight of the shooter.
At first, Alex tried to escape through the emergency exit and took a customer with him. Soon, they were joined by a mother and a daughter, who were also looking for an escape through the elevator. When the exit seemed too far to reach, Alex took the three customers (Lukas, Bente and Soof in the film) into the broom closet, which was only 1.5 meters by 2 meters in dimension. It was a cramped space, but it was enough for them to hide. They hoped to ride the whole thing out, hopefully, without the shooter finding them. Still, all four of them were scared for their lives and believed that they might not get out of it alive. The closet walls were very thin, and the quartet had to be extremely quiet. Alex revealed he felt his life flash in front of his eyes. He even sent goodbye texts to his then-15-year-old son, sisters, and close friends.
Alex Manuputty Credits the Negotiator for Keeping Him Calm
The anxiety of being held in a closed space with a shooter outside the door can take a toll on anyone. Alex, too, realized he was falling into despair and felt like leaving the closet. However, with the girl’s phone, they managed to contact the cops, who put them in touch with a negotiator who not only kept them updated on what was going on outside but also ensured they were holding strong until help could arrive. Alex credited the person for keeping him and the other three people calm for the span of five hours. Because the cops were monitoring the feed, the negotiator would tell them when Akkad was near and they needed to be quieter. At around 9 pm, when both the lights and the music in the store were to turn off automatically, Alex worried that it would get too quiet and the shooter would hear them.
However, his concerns were heeded, and the cops managed to get Apple to keep the lights and music on. The negotiator also told Alex to take off his work clothes to be more comfortable, as the claustrophobia of the cramped space started to set in. He also advised the four of them to cooperate with Akkad if they were found out. To keep their spirits high, he talked to Alex and the others in a normal and light tone, and sometimes cracked jokes, so they felt they were talking to a friend, not someone whose words could save or kill them. While the negotiator was trying his best to make things as good for them as possible, Alex and the hostages were loath to discover that someone had put up a post on social media revealing that the four of them were in the closet. This angered him because if Akkad saw the post, it could have been deadly for them. However, the cops managed to take the post down, and no harm came of it.
Alex Manuputty and the Three Hostages Were Ultimately Rescued After Hours
Alex and the other hostages used their phones to keep in touch with the negotiator. However, over the course of five hours, the batteries started to give in. There came a point where only 1% of the battery was left in Alex’s phone. However, before they had to think about what device to use next, a significant development occurred outside. At 10:30 pm, he heard some noises outside the closet, and then heard the word “Duck,” which was the signal they were given to open the door. This was followed by the cops identifying themselves and knocking on the door; and with that, the four hostages were finally free!
Alex described this feeling of freedom as an “intense” and beautiful moment. He immediately asked to go to the toilet. Following this, he and the other three were taken for dinner at the Marriott nearby, where Alex asked for a Bacardi and a Coke, in addition to the pizza they had. He also got to meet the negotiator, whom he hugged to express his gratitude for helping them through. He was taken in for a debriefing and was back at home at around 4 in the morning. The fatigue of the day caught up with him, and he fell asleep immediately. However, the trauma was imprinted on him.
Alex revealed that he developed a stutter in the days that followed. He suffered constant nightmares and kept reliving the evening in his mind over and over again. He felt scared and stressed all the time. About a month later, the city’s mayor recognised his bravery in saving his life, as well as that of the three customers with him. Along with the Bulgarian hostage, he and the other three hostages received a hero’s badge. Despite the recognition he received, Alex doesn’t prefer to call himself a hero because he believes he did what needed to be done.
Alex Manuputty is Still Recovering From the Trauma of the Robbery
Currently in his mid-50s, Alex Manuputty has left his Apple store job. He worked at the organization till December 2024 and is now pursuing other avenues. He has co-authored a book called ‘330 Minutes’ with Stephane Roozen. He also gave a copy of his book to actor Emmanuel Ohene Baofo, who plays his counterpart in the movie. Alex has since talked about his experience on radio shows and at several public events. He also appeared in a documentary about the robbery, revealing all about how he and the other three hostages managed to keep themselves alive. He still keeps in touch with them, as they are the only ones who truly understand what he went through in that broom closet.
In his personal time, Alex loves to cook, travel, and create lasting memories with his friends and family. He also takes care of his physical health and hits the gym frequently. He also does kickboxing, which has helped him eliminate his pent-up anger and aggression. As for the trauma of the robbery, he is processing it even today. Alex has revealed that he still feels jumpy over sudden noises and loud sounds, adding that he becomes immediately attentive to a person or a situation if it feels out of place. In fact, he even tries to avoid crowded places, fearing that the harrowing situation could transpire all over again. Following the robbery, he tried EMDR therapy to process his trauma, but it didn’t help him as much as he expected.
Alex turned to salsa dancing and noted that this was the form of therapy that worked for him rather well. It helped him get rid of the stuttering that he had had for eight months since the robbery. Even with all these things, he still thinks about what went wrong that day and why he and the other hostages had to go through that trauma. The path to healing and recovery feels exhausting at times, and some days are still bad. The animal lover also noted that his employers never gave him any recognition for the events of that day, which really hurt his feelings. Still, Alex doesn’t ponder it too much and focuses on working hard every day to put the past behind him and live life as it comes.
Read More: Are Lukas, Bente and Soof Based on Real Amsterdam Apple Store Hostages?
