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Netherlands Shooting Suspect to Face Murder Charges With Terrorist Intent


A picture of one of the three victims sits amidst flowers as mourners pay their respect at the site of a shooting incident in a tram in Utrecht, Netherlands, March 19, 2019.
A picture of one of the three victims sits amidst flowers as mourners pay their respect at the site of a shooting incident in a tram in Utrecht, Netherlands, March 19, 2019.

Dutch prosecutors said Thursday they will charge the suspect in this week's deadly tram shooting in the city of Utrecht with multiple murder charges with terrorist intent.

Prosecutors believe Turkish-born Gokmen Tanis acted alone Monday when he allegedly killed three people and seriously wounded three others.

Prosecutors and police said in a statement they are still investigating whether the 37-year-old suspect "acted out of a single terrorist motive or whether from personal problems in combination with radicalized ideas."

The suspect was arrested after an eight-hour search that virtually closed the city. Police later arrested a fourth suspect and are trying to determine "whether this suspect played a supporting role in the shooting."

Tanis is scheduled to attend a closed-door court hearing on Friday. Prosecutors also said Tanis will undergo a psychological examination.

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