Dutch crime journalist Peter R de Vries who covered disappearance of Natalee Holloway reportedly shot in the head in Amsterdam

Investigative reporter Peter R de Vries was shot in the head at close range shortly after appearing on an entertainment television show, according to local media.

The crime reporter known for covering high profile cases like the disappearance of Natalee Holloway was taken to hospital in a critical condition as police launched a “large-scale” searched for the shooter.

Police confirmed the identity of Mr De Vries after an eyewitness told Dutch news outlet Het Parool that she heard the shots and saw the reporter lying on the ground. She held his hand until he was taken, still alive, by ambulance.

A second witness told the newspaper she heard four or five loud bangs, while video circulating online shortly after the shooting purported to show Mr De Vries lying on the ground with blood pooling at his head.

A local celebrity in the Netherlands, Mr De Vries was known in the United States for his work investigating the mysterious disappearance of teenager Natalee Holloway, who went missing from the Caribbean island of Aruba in 2005.