Shooting Suspect Arrested in Utrecht, Netherlands

The chief of police in Utrecht, Netherlands has stated that the suspect in the deadly shooting on Monday, March 18, which left three dead and nine injured, has been arrested.

The police chief of Utrecht did not provide further details about the main suspect in the shooting.

However, media reports say the suspect in this deadly attack is a man named Gökmen Tanis, a 37-year-old born in Turkey who grew up in Utrecht, Netherlands. He had fled the shooting scene in a vehicle.

According to Dutch media, this individual “has mental health issues” and has a heavy criminal record as a drug dealer and sexual offender.

No official report has yet been issued regarding his motive for the shooting, but media investigations have suggested “personal revenge” related to a sexual assault case involving Gökmen Tanis.

A Dutch prosecutor also said the shooting may have been due to family disputes.

The Anatolia news agency reported from relatives of the attacker that the gunman initially shot one of his relatives on a tram and then encountered interference from other passengers.

Earlier, Dutch domestic media reported that anti-terrorism units had been deployed to the area and police were searching for the suspect or suspects.

According to reports, the shooting on the tram occurred in a residential area and several helicopters were dispatched to transport the wounded to hospitals. Several of the wounded are reported to be in critical condition.

One eyewitness told reporters that at the tram shooting scene, they saw a woman lying on the ground with a struggle occurring around her and several men fleeing the scene.

Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, the national coordinator of counter-terrorism operations in the Netherlands, told reporters that Dutch officials do not rule out a “terrorist motive” in this attack and the emergency alert level in Utrecht province, in central Netherlands, has now been raised to level 5.

Mr. Aalbersberg also said that gunfire sounds were heard from “multiple locations” in Utrecht.

Following these shootings, Dutch political parties postponed their election campaigns for the country’s provincial elections, which were scheduled to take place on Wednesday.

Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, said the situation in Utrecht is currently “very concerning.”

Utrecht city officials have asked residents to stay indoors and lock their doors until further notice.

Students and university students have also been asked to remain in schools and universities and not go outside until further notice.

Dutch officials announced the name and age of the suspect, whom they say was born in Turkey, and by releasing an image of him, asked citizens to avoid contact with anyone matching this description and to report information about him.

German police also announced that they have reinforced their checkpoints at the border between the two countries and are standing by to apprehend the suspect or suspects.

Utrecht, with a population of approximately 340,000 people, is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands. Murders and shootings in this city and in the Netherlands in general are rare.

The Netherlands is a country that in recent years has been somewhat spared from the major attacks that have occurred in Europe, but such attacks or their “neutralization” have precedent in that country.

Last summer, a 19-year-old Afghan citizen residing in Germany wounded two American tourists with a knife in a crowded and tourist area of Amsterdam; police shot and wounded him and then arrested him.

In September, Dutch security forces also reported the arrest of seven people and the “prevention” of a “major attack” on civilians, saying they had found a large shipment of tools and equipment for making explosives.

Source: Radio Farda