Utrecht shooting: Dutch police arrest suspect in deadly tram attack
Follow how we covered the story live
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Dutch police have arrested a man suspected of killing at least three people in a shooting on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht.
Following the shooting authorities in the Netherlands immediately raised the terror alert for the area to the maximum level, schools were told to shut their doors and paramilitary police increased security at airports and other vital infrastructure and also at mosques.
Police said the suspect, 37-year-old Gokmen Tanis, who was born in Turkey, had been taken into custody after an hours-long manhunt.
At the end of a news conference on Monday evening, police chief Rob van Bree told reporters: “I just heard that the suspect we were hunting has been arrested.”
Hours after the shooting, the gunman’s motive remained unclear.
A prosecutor said it could be for “family reasons” and Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency, quoting relatives of the gunman, said he had fired at a relative on the tram and had then shot at others who tried to help her.
Utrecht mayor Jan van Zanen said three people were killed and police put the number of wounded at five.
“We cannot exclude, even stronger, we assume a terror motive. Likely there is one attacker, but there could be more,” Mr van Zanen said.
Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said “a terror motive is not excluded” and went on to say the attack was met throughout the country with “a mix of disbelief and disgust”.
“If it is a terror attack, then we have only one answer: Our nation, democracy, must be stronger that fanaticism and violence,” he added.
Follow how we covered the story live
Utrecht's mayor said a "terrorist motive" is the most plausible reason behind the attack.
Utrecht police have issued an appeal for more information about a red Renault Clio which was carjacked before the shooting. The car was later found abandoned.
Jan van Zanen, mayor of the Dutch city of Utrecht, also said three of the nine injured have been wounded seriously.
Mr van Zanen said "we cannot exclude, even stronger, we assume a terror motive. Likely there is one attacker, but there could be more."
The attack comes three days after a lone gunman killed 50 people in mass shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand.
Jean-Claude Juncker has said the EU stands "side by side" with the Netherlands.
The president of the European Commission said: "I have just spoken with Mark Rutte to get an update of the situation in Utrecht.
"The EU stands side by side with the #Netherlands and its people during these difficult times. My thoughts are with the wounded and their families."
Local broadcaster RTV Utrecht said the suspect, Gokmen Tanis, had a long history of run-ins with the police for both minor and major crimes, including a shooting in 2013.
The Algemeen Dagblad newspaper, quoting a witness of the incident, said the gunman had targeted a woman on the tram and then shot other people who had tried to help her.
The mayor of Utrecht has withdrawn advice issued earlier by his municipality for the city's residents to stay indoors in the aftermath of the deadly tram shooting.
Jan van Zanen says in a video tweeted by the Utrecht municipality the earlier advice to remain indoors was based on fears shots had been fired at more than one location in the city.
He now said "that is not the case, as far as we know."
Mr van Zanen said police are hunting for a suspect in the shooting that left three dead and nine injured.
He said "there could be other suspects, we don't know yet."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments