A gunman opened fire on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht on Monday, killing at least one person and wounding several in what officials said was a possible terrorist incident.
Police said the attacker was still on the run after the incident.
Manhunt launched for the shooter
Police, including heavily armed officers, flooded the area after the shooting that happened in the morning on a tram at a busy traffic intersection in a residential neighborhood in Utrecht.
Police spokesman Bernhard Jens said that no one had been detained yet.
Jens said that “one explanation is that the person fled by car.” He did not rule out the possibility that more than one person was involved.
“We want to try to catch the person responsible as soon as possible,” Jens said.
- AP
Shooting in Utrecht “appears to be terrorist attack”
The shooting in Utrecht “appears to be a terrorist attack”, the head of the country's counter-terrorism agency said.
Dutch broadcaster NOS said Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg made the assessment after several people were shot in a tram in the central province of Utrecht.
- Reuters
Dutch govt raise terrorism threat to maximum in Utrecht
The Dutch government raised the terrorism threat level to the highest possible in the province of Utrecht. Dutch military police is on “extra alert” at Dutch airports and “vital buildings” due to police manhunt in Utrecht.
The National Anti-Terrorism Coordinator said it had raised alert level as the suspected shooter was still at large. Security was increased at schools, mosques and transportation hubs after the shooting.
- Reuters
Police have erected a white tent over an area where a body appears to be lying next to a tram following reports of a shooting in the Dutch city of Utrecht.
A body is covered with a white sheet after a shooting in a tram in Utrecht, Netherlands on March 18, 2019 | Photo Credit: AP
Earlier, footage showed what appeared to be a body lying under a white blanket. Police had said that there were “multiple” people wounded in the shooting on Monday morning.
- AP
Police say they are investigating a shooting in a tram that left “multiple” people injured and are considering the possibility of a “terrorist motive.”
Police, including heavily armed officers, flooded the area after the shooting that happened Monday morning on a tram at a busy traffic intersection.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the situation “very worrying” and the country’s counterterror coordinator said in a tweet that a crisis team was meeting to discuss the situation.
There have been no reports yet of any suspects arrested.
- AP