Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

37-year-old Gokmen Tanis AP/PA Images

Utrecht tram shooting suspect confesses to deadly attack, claims he acted alone

Thousands of Dutch mourners took to Utrecht’s streets this evening to pay their last respects to the victims.

A TURKISH-BORN SUSPECT has confessed to terrorism charges over a shooting on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht which killed three people, prosecutors said today.

Thousands of Dutch mourners including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte took to Utrecht’s streets this evening to pay their last respects to the victims of the rampage, which also left seven injured. 

Gokmen Tanis, 37, said he acted alone in Monday’s attack which triggered an eight-hour manhunt until he was captured.

“The 37-year-old suspect confessed this morning to the examining magistrate the criminal offences against him. He also stated that he acted alone,” the Dutch prosecution service said in a statement.

“Because of the investigation, nothing else can be said.”

Prosecutors said on Thursday that Tanis would be charged with “multiple murders with terrorist aims, as well as attempted murder and a terrorist threat.”

He appeared before a magistrate behind closed doors and was expected to be remanded in custody for a further two weeks.

Police had meanwhile released a 40-year-old man who was arrested on Tuesday because Tanis had been found at his home, the prosecution service said.

“An in-depth investigation has been carried out into whether the man was involved in the shooting incident or helped in any way. No evidence was found and the man is therefore no longer a suspect,” it said.

Two other men were arrested and released earlier in the week after police sniffer dogs followed a trail from Tanis’s getaway car to their house.

‘No place for hate’ 

Netherlands Shooting Mayor of Utrecht Jan van Zanen, center, holds flowers during a silent march to commemorate the victims of a shooting in Utrecht Patrick Post via PA Images Patrick Post via PA Images

Netherlands Shooting Patrick Post via PA Images Patrick Post via PA Images

More than 10,000 mourners attended the commemoration march to remember the victims.

Marchers walked in silence to the 24 October Square in the city where the three people –  a 19-year-old woman from Vianen, south of Utrecht, and two men aged 28 and 49 from Utrecht itself – lost their lives.

Many were carrying flowers and long queues formed as mourners stood in line to lay them at the scene where the tram came to a halt, the Dutch public newscaster NOS reported.

The marchers were carrying banners saying: “Utrecht will never be bowed” and “Je suis Utrecht/New Zealand” in a reference to the recent Christchurch shootings and the 2015 attacks in France.

The city’s Muslim community was also well-represented with representatives from a local mosque also laying flowers, carrying a banner saying “Muslims are at peace with humanity”,

Earlier, Utrecht’s mayor told marchers:

Today the city is silent once again.

“We are showing that Utrecht is no place for violence and hate,” Jan van Zanen told the marchers, after which a moment of silence followed.

© AFP 2019 

Author
View 10 comments
Close
10 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nigel Garvey
    Favourite Nigel Garvey
    Report
    Mar 22nd 2019, 10:03 PM

    After Erdogan’s recent rhetoric (night before) I wonder did he truly act alone ? ….

    150
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris Maynard
    Favourite Chris Maynard
    Report
    Mar 22nd 2019, 10:42 PM

    after trump’s recent rhetoric, i wonder did the nz truly act alone ? ….
    after fraser anning’s recent rhetoric, i wonder did he truly act alone? …

    see how ridiculous this sounds? hate knows no religion. only hate. we, collectively as a society, have to decide to stop pitting one side against the other if we truly want to tackle terrorism on both sides.

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Murphy
    Favourite Sean Murphy
    Report
    Mar 22nd 2019, 11:23 PM

    @Nigel Garvey: I couldn’t believe what he done. To show the video from inside the mosque on a large screen to an audience was reckless. To then say Aussies will go home in caskets like their grandads in WW1 is an incitement to violence. I’m surprised the international media didnt make more of it. Could you imagine of Trump had done that?

    106
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Candace
    Favourite Candace
    Report
    Mar 23rd 2019, 1:22 AM

    Any news on the tens of Christians butchered last week in Nigeria or dies New Zealand take priority?

    109
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ciaran111
    Favourite ciaran111
    Report
    Mar 23rd 2019, 12:58 AM

    And people wonder why islamofascism is on the raise ?2 attacks in 3 days .Nigeria also.

    75
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ger Murphy
    Favourite Ger Murphy
    Report
    Mar 23rd 2019, 7:17 AM

    @ciaran111: I can’t wait until they get into the EU. I’d happily pay their doles so I can worry about my kids commuting into town every day…

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Maurice Dodd
    Favourite Maurice Dodd
    Report
    Mar 22nd 2019, 10:49 PM

    Two billion backers

    42
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute baron floyd
    Favourite baron floyd
    Report
    Mar 22nd 2019, 10:28 PM

    Why, the vast majority of media in the world is refusing to print either the names or pictures of these rotten ba@$##ds, does the Journal repeatedly do so??

    63
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute alan doyle
    Favourite alan doyle
    Report
    Mar 22nd 2019, 11:50 PM

    Not sure this lad is playing from a full deck of cards. Just by the look of him.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Philip Siggins
    Favourite Philip Siggins
    Report
    Mar 23rd 2019, 11:17 PM

    Since 9/11 tens of thousands worldwide murdered, butchered, beheaded, stabbed, burned alive, raped, thrown of building, stoned, all in the name of Islam and one backlash in New Zealand is anyone surprised ? Just imagine if the shoe were on the other foot and Muslims had been targeted by right wing extremists for the past 20 years what would the likely outcome be ?

    3
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds