Shooting on Dutch tram leaves three dead, nine injured, suspect arrested

The Dutch police on Monday arrested the suspect in a shooting on a tram in the city of Utrecht in which three people were killed, a police chief said. "We have just been informed that the suspect has been arrested," Utrecht police chief Rob van Bree told a news conference. Police had earlier said they were searching for Turkish-born suspect Gokmen Tanis, 37, and issued a picture of him. 

Three people were killed and nine injured in the shooting, the mayor earlier said, adding that authorities were working on the basis of it being a terror attack. "At this stage, we can confirm three deaths and nine wounded, three of them seriously," Utrecht Mayor Jan van Zanen said in a video statement on Twitter.

One of the victims was completely covered with a sheet and lying on the tracks between two carriages, ANP quoted one of its reporters as saying. There was no immediate official confirmation.

The local police confirmed on Twitter that the incident took place at the 24th of October Square, which has been closed off. The shooting, which was reported at 10:45 am (local time), is now over -- however the police operation is ongoing. 

Three trauma helicopters were dispatched to the scene, emergency services said. 

The incident came days after five Indians among 50 people were killed by a gunman who opened fire on worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch, in the worst attack on Muslims in New Zealand. The attacker, identified by authorities as Australia-born Brenton Tarrant, 28, reportedly targeted immigrants during Friday prayers on March 15. Witnesses said victims were shot at close range.

About 200,000 Indian and Indian-origin people live in New Zealand. Over 30,000 of them are students, according to the Indian High Commission’s data available on its website.