A shooting in the Dutch city of Utrecht left several people injured.

[steve2470]

Source: New York Times

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A shooting in the Dutch city of Utrecht left several people injured. The authorities said the attack was being investigated as a possible case of terrorism.

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[steve2470]

1. NEW: Dutch police have launched an investigation and are also considering "a possible terrorist....

NEW: Dutch police have launched an investigation and are also considering "a possible terrorist motive" in the Utrecht tram shooting

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[Stuart G]

4. According to the latest news from CNN, at least 3 people were killed.

https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/utrecht-tram-shooting-live-updates-intl/index.html

[DFW]

2. Oh, crap, did it HAVE to be Utrecht?

That's where my Dutch office is. I'm there once a week, usually. Yes, it's full of Muslims and you see women with their heads covered everywhere. So what? They STILL haven't had anything like this in as long as I can remember. Its peaceful nature was one of the reasons we chose Utrecht in the first place.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. That's hitting pretty close to home for you

It must be very unsettling. New Zealand as well is a remarkably peaceful place. New York City is among the most multi-cultural places on earth and it famously draws attacks. Hate seems to hate most where people deem it unacceptable.

[DFW]

5. Utrecht is VERY close to home. For my 15 Dutch colleagues, it IS home

It's less than a 2 hour train ride, and the direct trains run every two hours in each direction.

The dormant Dutch far right will be rejoicing about this new injection of adrenaline for them.

[cwydro]

10. Do we know it was a right wing attack?

I’m not near a TV, so only keeping up with this on my phone.

[DFW]

12. We know it wasn't You may have gotten some signals crossed there

They have identified one shooter, who is Turkish. They are looking for him, but not excluding that there might have been more than one.

I'm saying that a shooting by a Muslim will be like golden elixir to the Dutch far right, who hasn't had much in the way of Muslim terrorism to boost their chances in the upcoming elections.

[cwydro]

14. My bad. When you mentioned it was a heavily Muslim area, I assumed.

I’m outside doing dreaded spring chores.

Checking on my phone periodically. Thanks for the update, and I see your point, sadly.

[cwydro]

17. My bad. When you mentioned it was a heavily Muslim area, I assumed.

I’m outside doing dreaded spring chores.

Checking on my phone periodically. Thanks for the update, and I see your point, sadly.

[steve2470]

18. I hope you and your colleagues don't have any problems

All the best to you and your family

[DFW]

9. I just talked to my office in Utrecht. A LOT closer to home than I imagined.

The tram where the shooting occurred is the same tram two children of the director of my office there (and a close friend) take to school every day. The shooting started about two hours after they had gotten off at their school. Everything is closed and blocked off, and he is on the way to pick them up from school, which is on lockdown. The tram is on the Utrecht-IJsselstein line, which I have taken, myself, on occasion. VERY close to home.

I have friends who work in the Dutch top anti-terror paramilitary unit, and I suppose that when they are released from duty (and authorized to speak to civilians from other countries--IF they ever are) that I will hear some other details that weren't on CNN.

[chowder66]

7. I love Utrecht. Went there when a teen. Used to take the tram to the Utrecht shopping center.

I was sad to wake up to the news.

[a la izquierda]

21. I was on my way to the train...

To head to the university to work for the day. But I heard the news first, so I stayed behind.
Crazy.

[LilithLithium]

6. So far 3 dead, 9 injured

I'm worried this is going to influence the Provincial election results this Wednesday ...

[still_one]

8. Reports are saying they are looking for a 37-year old Turkish man in connection with the shooting

[jcmaine72]

11. Well, I guess we already know then which direction Faux News and the like will take this story.

[Devil Child]

13. Islamist terrorist attack

Most likely in reaction to the recent white nationalist terrorism in NZ. Suspect had criminal history and ties to IS and Chechnya.

[Tipperary]

15. Well, that explains why there is nothing about it in gd.

I would not have expected something like this in the Netherlands. It seems nowhere is safe anymore. This is very sad.

[DFW]

16. Unfortunately, the Netherlands is an ideal place for something like this

It has several advantages for bad guys. Its huge Muslim immigrant population means no one gives a Middle-Eastern person a second look, as they have blended in, especially in a university town like Utrecht.

Unlike France and Belgium, firearms are practically forbidden to the civilian population in the Netherlands, but the border between Belgium and the Netherlands is so open as to practically not exist. The anti-terror cops in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands have foiled some planned attacks in the past year, but have kept their successes on a low key, so as not to publicly taunt others who hadn't yet decided to go off the deep end.

[Sapient Donkey]

19. Where did you get the information the guy is muslim and did this in the name of Islam?

Other than him being from Turkey, I haven't seen much information on him or his motive.


*Just to be clear, I asked for similar clarification from people when news of the NZ shoots first broke and people immediately blamed white nationalists for it. Grant you that turned out to be the case, but at that moment a lot of folks were just making assumptions.

[nitpicker]

20. Update from DW

https://www.dw.com/en/three-dead-in-utrecht-shooting-suspect-in-custody/a-47960337

(snip)
A gunman opened fire on a tram in the central Dutch city of Utrecht on Monday, killing at least three people and wounding five, said city Mayor Jan van Zanen.

"We sympathize with those close to the victims, the injured and all the people who were at the shooting incident this morning. We must embrace each other and support those who grieve," van Zanen said.

Police then launched a city-wide manhunt for the assailant, who was detained around 6:30 pm local time (17:36 UTC), eight hours after the shooting.

Utrecht police had released a photo of the suspect earlier on Monday, naming him as Gökmen Tanis, a 37-year-old native of Turkey.
(snip)

[DFW]

22. It appears that one of the men killed was the 49 year old father of my friend's son's classmate.

Closer and closer to home as this continues.