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Utrecht tram shooting

Coordinates: 52°04′51″N 5°05′29″E / 52.0807°N 5.0914°E / 52.0807; 5.0914
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2019 Utrecht tram shooting
Location of the shooting
Location24 Oktoberplein, Utrecht, Netherlands
Coordinates52°04′51″N 5°05′29″E / 52.0807°N 5.0914°E / 52.0807; 5.0914
Date18 March 2019 (2019-03-18)
10:45 (CET)
TargetCivilians
Attack type
Mass shooting
Deaths3
Injured7 (3 critical, 4 minor)

On the morning of 18 March 2019, three people were killed and five others hospitalised after a shooting on a tram in Utrecht, Netherlands. Local police described the incident as "appearing to be" a terrorist attack.[1][2][3][4] Law enforcement was quick to respond and effectively locked down the city in the hours after the shooting. The details about the identity of the suspect, a 37-year-old Turkish man, were spread publicly in an effort to localize him. Around 6:00 p.m. (local time) it was announced that the suspected shooter was arrested about 2 miles (3 km) from the location of the shooting, ending the emergency measures.[5][6]

Attack

At approximately 10:45 a.m. CET (09:45 a.m. UTC), a shooting took place on a fast tram near the 24 Oktoberplein junction in Utrecht.[7] The perpetrator fled in a car, leading to a large scale police manhunt, which lasted for much of the day.[4] The police arrested a 37-year-old man, born in Turkey.[8][9][10] In addition, two further arrests were made in connection to the shooting.[11] Police impounded a red Renault Clio car in connection with the attack.[12][13]

Initially, it was reported that one of the women shot may have been the target due to "family reasons" and other passengers coming to her aid were then also targeted.[14] However, law enforcement later announced there was no evidence of any connection between the killer and the victims. Instead, a note found in the getaway car hinted at terrorism as the motive.[15]

Victims

Three people were confirmed dead and seven others were hurt, three with severe injuries and four with minor ones.[16][17] The wounded were taken to the University Medical Center Utrecht.[18] The three people killed were identified as two men from Utrecht aged 49 and 28 and a 19-year-old woman from the nearby city of Vianen.[19] A neighbour of the murdered 19-year-old started a crowd-funding action to cover the costs of her funeral, reaching the target within hours. It received so many donations that it was turned into a fund for all of the victims of the attack.[20][21]

Suspects

Gokmen Tanis, a 37-year-old resident of Utrecht who is from Turkey was arrested[22][23] after a manhunt on the day of the attack. People who know him described him as a "drug addict", an "alcoholic" and "totally insane".[24][25] Another suspect, a 40-year-old man, was arrested by authorities on 19 March 2019.[26]

Aftermath

After the attack, the threat level in the province of Utrecht was raised to Level 5: this is the highest level of threat and had never been used before this attack.[27][28] After the suspect was caught, it was reduced back to Level 4.[6] The police presence was increased at NS railway stations, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht, and at the country's airports.[27][29] Tram services in the city were cancelled as per the transport authority.[30][31] Mosques in the city were evacuated, and those elsewhere in the country were given increased security, likely due to the recent mosque shootings in New Zealand.[18]

The day after the shooting, all national flags on government buildings throughout the Netherlands and at diplomatic posts abroad were flown at half-mast on request of Prime Minister Mark Rutte.[32] Dutch royal residences flew a black banner, symbolising mourning, alongside the customary royal standard.[33] In addition, election debates and political campaigning for the provincial elections on 20 March 2019 were suspended by effectively all politicians for at least the remainder of 18 March.[when?][34]

Gun killings in the Netherlands are rare,[6] and the last such major incident was the Alphen aan den Rijn shopping mall shooting in 2011.

References

  1. ^ "Gewonden door schoten in tram Utrecht, terroristisch motief niet uitgesloten". NOS (in Dutch). 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  2. ^ "NCTV: vermoedelijk terroristische aanslag, schutter nog voortvluchtig". NOS (in Dutch). 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Burgemeester Jan van Zanen reageert op het schietincident eerder vandaag". 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b Davies, Gareth (18 March 2019). "Utrecht shooting: At least one dead after 'potential terror attack' on tram". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Dutch shooting: Utrecht police arrest suspect after three killed - BBC News". Bbc.com. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b c Meijer, Bart (18 March 2019). "Dutch police arrest Turkish man suspected of killing three in tram shooting". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Henley, Jon (18 March 2019). "Utrecht shooting: several injured on tram as man opens fire". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "Politie geeft foto vrij van verdachte" (in Dutch). 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  9. ^ "Politie Utrecht zoekt 37-jarige verdachte Gökmen Tanis" (in Dutch). 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Utrecht tram shooting: Suspected gunman arrested". LBC. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Vermoedelijke dader en twee andere verdachten aanslag Utrecht opgepakt". NU. 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "Drie doden bij aanslag in Utrecht, inwoners moeten binnenblijven". NOS: Nederlandse Omroep Stichting, Hilversum. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  13. ^ "'Gestolen' rode Renault Clio aangetroffen in Utrecht". Telegraaf. 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Jon Henley and Jennifer Rankin (18 March 2019). "Utrecht tram shooting suspect arrested after three killed". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "Three dead as Dutch police hunt tram gunman". 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "LIVE: Rutte legt bloemen, Tanis uiterlijk vrijdag voor rechter, "Utrecht, stay strong"". RTV Utrecht. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  17. ^ a b Schuetze, Christopher F.; Barthelemy, Claire; Schreuer, Milan (18 March 2019). "Gunman Attacks Tram Passengers in Utrecht, Dutch Police Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "Dutch shooting: Letter suggests motive in Utrecht attack". Bbc.com. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ https://www.rtvutrecht.nl/nieuws/1895800/
  20. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ^ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47615231
  22. ^ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/gokmen-tanis-utrecht-shootings-tram-rape-jail-past-a8830821.html
  23. ^ Tieleman, Yelle (19 March 2019). "'Gökmen Tanis ziet vrouwen als wegwerpproducten'". AD.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "Buurtgenoten: 'Gökmen Tanis geen terrorist'". Panorama (in Dutch). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  25. ^ Darrah, Nicole (19 March 2019). "Dutch police make new arrest in deadly Utrecht tram shooting". Fox News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ a b "Gunman opens fire in Utrecht tram". BBC News. 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ "Dutch PM "very concerned" by possible terrorist attack in Utrecht". NL Times. 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ "Extra toezicht bij stations en moskeeën in Rotterdam na mogelijke aanslag Utrecht". rijnmond.nl (in Dutch). 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  29. ^ "Gunman opens fire inside Dutch tram". 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ U-OV (18 March 2019). "Ten gevolge van een schietpartij ligt het tramverkeer in Utrecht momenteel geheel stil. We weten nog niet hoe lang dit gaat duren. Van/naar Nieuwegein verwijzen we u nu door naar de buslijnen 74 en 77". @UOV_info (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ "Rutte: vlaggen op overheidsgebouwen vandaag halfstok". nos.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  32. ^ "Vlaggen in regio halfstok als eerbetoon slachtoffers aanslag Utrecht". AD (in Dutch). ANP. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  33. ^ "Verkiezingscampagne opgeschort na gebeurtenissen Utrecht; geen debat". AD. 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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