3 Killed And Several Injured in Shooting in Dutch City of Utrecht, Police Say

Three people were killed and several people were wounded in a shooting on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht on Monday morning, according to local authorities. Authorities confirmed they arrested the main suspect, and are investigating whether he was motivated by terrorism.

Local media images from the scene showed a tram at a standstill on a tramline between two roads.

Mayor Jan van Zanen has confirmed three people have died after the shooting. Authorities later confirmed five were injured.

Police said the attack took place at 24 Oktoberplein, a junction to the southwest of the city center.

The Dutch news website AD reported that anti-terror police had been called to the scene.

At the conclusion of a press conference Monday evening, Utrecht Police Chief Rob van Bree announced that authorities had the suspect in custody.

“I just heard that the suspect we were hunting has been arrested,” he told reporters, according to the Associated Press.

Earlier, Utrecht police released a photo of a 37-year-old Turkish-born man identified as Gokmen Tanis, saying he was “associated with the incident,” per AP.

After the arrest, the country’s counterterrorism coordinator announced they were reducing the threat level in the center of the city back to four out of five, which is in line with the rest of the country. The official noted in the tweet that the decision was based on “the arrest of the main suspect of the shooting.”

Dutch Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus told the AP the suspect has a criminal record and “was known” to authorities, but added that it was too early to say whether he was motivated by terrorism.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte also said publicly that “if [the attack] had terror motives, that is being investigated. But it was very serious. The world shares our grief.”

Rutte also said three of the wounded are in critical condition.

This is a developing story. Please refresh for updates.