Utrecht shooting: Third suspect detained after killing of 3 on tram in Dutch town
Utrecht shooting: Third suspect detained after killing of 3 on tram in Dutch town

Three suspects have been detained in connection to the killing of three people on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht on Monday, officials said, as reported by NBC News.

Police said the first suspect was the same man pictured in a photo they had released earlier while warning the public not to approach him. They had identified the man as Gökmen Tanis, 37, who was born in Turkey.

Justice Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus said authorities were able to identify Tanis from surveillance footage and the getaway car they believed he used to flee the scene. Grapperhaus also said Tanis has a criminal record.

After the arrest, the threat alert level in Utrecht was lowered to 4. Dutch officials had raised the threat alert to its highest level, 5, after the shooting, which occurred around 10:45 a.m. local time.
Utrecht police announced on its Twitter account that two additional suspects in the attack have been detained, but did not release additional details. Authorities said the update would be the last until Tuesday morning.

Five people were also injured in the attack, and three were in serious condition, authorities said. Mayor Jan van Zanen had previously said that nine people had been hurt, but police later adjusted that number. “We expect a terror motive. Our thoughts are with the next of kin and the witnesses of this horrific event,” the mayor said.

A prosecutor said at an evening news conference that terrorism could be at play, but investigators also weren’t ruling out other motives, including domestic-related.