This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/18/utrecht-shooting-tram-dutch-netherlands

The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 12 Version 13
Utrecht tram shooting suspect arrested after three killed Utrecht tram shooting suspect arrested after three killed
(32 minutes later)
Police have arrested a man suspected of shooting three people dead and injuring five more in the Dutch city of Utrecht, apparently in a family dispute. Police have arrested a man suspected of shooting three people dead and injuring five more on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht, apparently in a family dispute.
A press conference was interrupted to announce the arrest of Turkish-born Gökmen Tanis, 37, suspected of opening fire at 10.45am local time in a tram at the city’s central 24 Oktoberplein junction in an incident that initially sparked widespread fears of a terror attack. Turkish-born Gökmen Tanis, 37, was detained on a street in the north of the city several hours after the shooting, which happened at 10.45am local time (0945 GMT) on the central 24 Oktoberplein junction. Authorities initially said it could have been a terror attack.
A spokesman for the Dutch public prosecutor’s office said investigators were “taking into account the possibility of a terrorist motive”, but added that other reasons “were not being ruled out”. Utrecht, the Netherlands’ fourth-largest city, spent much of the day in lockdown after the incident, with authorities asking residents to stay at home. Students were prevented from leaving schools and colleges, and many shops in the area closed.
A police spokesman, Bernhard Jens, said earlier the attack “could be a domestic dispute.” Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency, citing the Turkish-born suspect’s family, said the man had fired at a relative for “family reasons” and then shot at others who had tried to help the victim. A spokesman for the Dutch public prosecutor’s office said investigators were still taking into account the possibility of a terror motive, but added other possible reasons were not being ruled out.
The mayor of Utrecht, Jan van Zanen, said three people had died in the attack and nine more had been wounded, three of them seriously. Police later revised the number injured. City authorities asked all residents to stay at home, but later lifted the advice. Many shops in the area remained closed all afternoon. A police spokesman, Bernhard Jens, had earlier said the attack could be a domestic dispute and Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency, citing relatives of the Turkish-born suspect’s family, said Tanis had fired at a woman for “family reasons” then shot at others who tried to help her.
Utrecht police issued a CCTV picture of Tanis and warned people not to approach him but to alert the authorities if they saw him. They also appealed for witness photographs. The national terrorism coordinator, Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, raised the alert level in the province to its maximum. Security was also increased in the nearby cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague as well as at Schiphol airport.
The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, said all efforts were focused on catching the “suspect or suspects … Our country today has been jolted by an attack in Utrecht,” he said. “Police and prosecutors are looking into what exactly happened.” Utrecht police issued a CCTV picture of Tanis, warning people not to approach him but to alert the authorities if they saw him. They also appealed for witness photographs.
A local broadcaster, RTV Utrecht, quoted a witness named Jimmy de Koster as saying several shots had been fired. De Koster said he had been on his way home from work when he saw a woman lying on the ground next to a tram shouting: “I have done nothing.” Unlike France, Belgium and Germany, the Netherlands has not had a major terror attack in recent years. The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, said the country had been “rocked” by what happened.
Another witness, identified only as Niels, who was on the tram, told the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper that the gunman seemed to target one person. “I heard like a bang-bang-bang in the carriage behind me, and suddenly people were running out for their lives,” the witness said. A local broadcaster, RTV Utrecht, quoted a witness, Jimmy de Koster, as saying several shots had been fired. De Koster said he had been on his way home from work when he saw a woman lying on the ground next to a tram, shouting: “I have done nothing.”
Another witness, identified only as Niels, who was on the tram, told the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper that the gunman seemed to target one person. “I heard like a bang bang bang in the carriage behind me, and suddenly people were running out for their lives,” the witness said.
“I had the impression he was firing at one person in particular, because I saw a woman crawl out. Other people tried to help her, and when they did that he went round behind her and began firing at them.”“I had the impression he was firing at one person in particular, because I saw a woman crawl out. Other people tried to help her, and when they did that he went round behind her and began firing at them.”
Several Dutch media outlets reported that the suspect had appeared in court in Utrecht on 4 March charged with rape. RTV Utrecht said Tanis was well known to the police for a string of further offences, including threatening to murder a woman and firing a weapon at an apartment block close to the Oktoberplein. A third witness, Daan Molenaar, told the national broadcaster NOS he did not believe it was a terrorist attack: “The first thing I thought was, this is some kind of revenge or something, or somebody who’s really mad and grabbed a pistol.”
The national terrorism coordinator, Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, told a press conference earlier on Monday that a “complex operation” was under way to apprehend what police believed was a single suspect. He said every effort was now being focused on apprehending the man. Several Dutch media outlets reported that Tanis had appeared in court in Utrecht on 4 March charged with rape. RTV Utrecht said the suspect was well known to police for a string of further offences, including threatening to murder a woman and firing a weapon at an apartment block close to the Oktoberplein.
Aalbersberg raised the alert level in Utrecht province to its maximum. Local schools and colleges were ordered to keep their doors closed until further notice and security was increased in the nearby cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague as well as at Schiphol airport. Unlike France, Belgium and Germany, the Netherlands has not had a major terror attack in the past few years. By early evening, Utrecht’s large Holland casino was one of several places to still be closed because of the “crisis situation”. The large plaza outside the concrete brutalist structure was deserted apart from a steady stream of cyclists and cars.
One woman who declined to give her name described the attacks as “unreal. I live there [in the neighbourhood],” she said. “I moved in three weeks ago. It still feels unreal. You can’t really imagine it.”
Tijn Koops, a 20-year-old radiologist, who takes the same tram every day, said the events were disturbing. “It’s pretty unusual. Most shootings happen in Amsterdam.” But it would not change his behaviour, he said. “It makes me worried, but I know it won’t happen again.”
The wounded were taken to Utrecht’s main teaching hospital, where a major incident was declared. Dutch media reported that at least three people received emergency treatment at the scene.The wounded were taken to Utrecht’s main teaching hospital, where a major incident was declared. Dutch media reported that at least three people received emergency treatment at the scene.
There were initial reports of shootings in other areas of the city but these were subsequently discounted by police. Police said a red Renault Clio was stolen near the Oktoberplein square where the attack took place shortly beforehand, and was later found abandoned further to the north. There were initial reports of shootings in other areas of the city but these were subsequently discounted by police. Police said a red Renault Clio was stolen near the Oktoberplein shortly beforehand, and was later found abandoned further to the north.
NetherlandsNetherlands
EuropeEurope
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content