Netherlands arrests suspect in shooting that killed 3 people
The terror alert in the city of Utrecht has been lowered by one level after authorities arrested suspect Gokmen Tanis.
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Gokmen Tanis appears on security camera before the shooting. Photo:Twitter |
"The main suspect in the shooting has been arrested," the police department of the central Dutch city of Utrecht announced on Twitter yesterday. Authorities said the suspect was Gokmen Tanis, 37, a Turkish-born man who was arrested after hours of pursuit.
The Dutch National Counter-Terrorism Service later announced that it had lowered the terror alert in the city of Utrecht by one level.
The motive for the shooting is not yet known. A Dutch prosecutor said it may have been due to “family reasons”, while relatives of the suspect said Tanis shot a relative on a tram and opened fire on passengers who tried to help her.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country's intelligence agency was investigating whether the shooting was an act of terrorism or motivated by personal motives.
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Special police officers inspect the suspect's hiding place on March 18. Photo:AFP |
The shooting occurred at 24 Oktoberplein station in Utrecht city at 10:45 a.m. on March 18 (4:45 p.m. Vietnam time), killing at least 3 people and injuring 9 others.
The incident occurred just days after a shooting in New Zealand that left 50 people dead, prompting heightened security across the Netherlands, with the terror threat alert in Utrecht set at its highest level.
Schools, places of worship and public transport are being protected by police, while Dutch military police are deployed to key infrastructure such as airports.