Utrecht tram shooting leaves three dead

By Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 3:50 p.m. ET, March 18, 2019
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1:38 p.m. ET, March 18, 2019

JUST IN: Dutch shooting suspect has been arrested

Dutch authorities say they have caught the man suspected of opening fire on a tram in Utrecht, killing three people this morning.

Rob van Bree, the head of operations of the Central Netherlands Police, announced the news Monday.

1:30 p.m. ET, March 18, 2019

Utrecht mayor: The manhunt is ongoing and police are doing "everything possible to catch the suspect"

A manhunt is still ongoing in the Netherlands for the suspect in a tram shooting in Utrecht on Monday, the mayor said during a press conference.

Jan van Zaben said authorities are doing “everything possible to catch the suspect,” adding that the motive is “still unclear.”

Police say Gokmen Tanis, 37, who was born in Turkey, is wanted following the incident. They have asked locals to contact authorities immediately if they see him. 

The threat level will remain at 5 – the highest – for the entire province until 10 p.m. local time tonight.

12:58 p.m. ET, March 18, 2019

What we know about the shooting now

A manhunt is underway after a deadly shooting in the Netherlands this morning. Here's what we know now:

  • The shooting: A gunman opened fire inside a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht around 10:45 a.m. local time today.
  • The victims: At least three people have died and five are wounded following the shooting, Utrecht Police tweeted.
  • The suspect: Police say Gokmen Tanis, 37, who was born in Turkey, is wanted following the incident; they have asked locals to contact authorities immediately if they see him.

Here's a map of where the shooting happened, and where the search unfolded:

12:30 p.m. ET, March 18, 2019

Netherlands' king and queen: "Acts of violence such as these are absolutely unacceptable"

Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands Tolga AKMEN - WPA Pool /Getty Images

The Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima said they feel "intensely" for the victims of the tram shooting and condemned the violence as "absolutely unacceptable."

"Let us stand together for a community in which people feel safe and in which the freedom and tolerance are of utmost importance," they said in a statement.

Here's the full statement:

We are deeply saddened that three people were killed and others were seriously wounded in the attack in Utrecht. We feel intensely for the victims and their family members. Acts of violence such as these are absolutely unacceptable. Let us stand together for a community in which people feel safe and in which the freedom and tolerance are of utmost importance.
Our thanks go out to all first responders who are currently assisting the victims.
Our thoughts are with the inhabitants of Utrecht.
12:22 p.m. ET, March 18, 2019

What you need to know about Utrecht, where the shooting took place

Houses in the old centre of Utrecht are seen in January 2012.
Houses in the old centre of Utrecht are seen in January 2012. Ilvy Njiokiktjien/AFP/Getty Images

Located in central Netherlands, the city of Utrecht is the fourth-largest in the country. It is the capital of a province of the same name.

It has a population of more than 347,000, according to 2018 data from the country's central statistics bureau. Around a third of the city's population is made up of immigrants, according to the Utrecht official website.

Utrecht is the headquarters of the Netherlands' railroads and, as a result, trades on its location as a services and transport center.

It is also somewhat of a student metropolis as it is also home to Utrecht University, one of the oldest and largest of the Dutch state universities.

11:29 a.m. ET, March 18, 2019

Dutch far-right opposition leader: "Dreadful news out of Utrecht"

File photograph of Dutch far-right Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders at The Hague on March 8, 2017. 
File photograph of Dutch far-right Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders at The Hague on March 8, 2017.  EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

Dutch far-right opposition leader Geert Wilders expressed his admiration for the first responders in the wake of the shooting incident on board a tram in the city of Utrecht.

In a tweet, the politician wrote:

Dreadful news out of Utrecht. Homage to emergency services and my thoughts are with the victims and their relatives. It is only right that our election campaign has been halted under these circumstances."
11:10 a.m. ET, March 18, 2019

European neighbors react to mass shooting

Austria's chancellor and the UK's foreign secretary have joined others in expressing solidarity with the Netherlands following the mass shooting in Utrecht on Monday.

Here are the tweets from Sebastian Kurz and Jeremy Hunt:

10:36 a.m. ET, March 18, 2019

Police ask people to stay inside, come forward with any information

From CNN's Arnaud Siad and Deborah Muylle

Utrecht police say a red Renault Clio was carjacked just before the shooting in Utrecht this morning.

Police tweeted that the car was later found 4.3 km — or about 2.6 miles — away on another street.

Police also tweeted to ask people to stay indoors as the manhunt for the suspect continues. They are asking the public for any information they may have on the shooting.

Here's the police department's tweet about the car:

10:17 a.m. ET, March 18, 2019

EU chief: We stand with the Netherlands

From CNN's James Frater

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Parliament President Antonio Tajani have expressed their support to the Netherlands in the wake of the mass shooting on board a tram in Utrecht Monday morning.

Here are their tweets: