Utrecht shooting: Police issue photo and name suspect as Gokmen Tanis after deadly tram attack

Members of the public advised not to approach him but instead to call police

Tom Batchelor
Monday 18 March 2019 16:50 GMT
A few hours after the shooting, Utrecht police released a photo of a 37-year-old man born in Turkey who they said was 'associated with the incident'
A few hours after the shooting, Utrecht police released a photo of a 37-year-old man born in Turkey who they said was 'associated with the incident'

Dutch police have released a photo of a man wanted in connection with a deadly shooting on a tram in Utrecht that left three people dead.

The force appealed for information on the whereabouts of Gokmen Tanis, a 37-year-old man born in Turkey.

Members of the public were advised not to approach him but instead to call police.

Three died and five were injured on Monday morning after the shooting on a tram in the central Dutch city.

A hunt was underway for the gunman and armed officers had surrounded an apartment not far from the tram stop – but no arrests had been made.

The head of Dutch counter-terrorism said shots had been fired at several locations, without elaborating.

Amid fears of a terror link. authorities raised the threat level to its highest in Utrecht province, schools were told to shut their doors and paramilitary police increased security at Dutch airports and other vital infrastructure. Security was stepped up at mosques.

Utrecht shooting: Armed police hunt for gunman after attack on tram

However later reports in Turkish media suggested the shooting may have been a targeted attack against a female relative.

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