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Utrecht tram shooting

Coordinates: 52°04′51″N 5°05′29″E / 52.0807°N 5.0914°E / 52.0807; 5.0914
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Utrecht tram shooting
The tram after the attack
Location of the shooting
Location24 Oktoberplein, Utrecht, Netherlands
Coordinates52°04′51″N 5°05′29″E / 52.0807°N 5.0914°E / 52.0807; 5.0914
Date18 March 2019 (2019-03-18)
10:45 (CET)
TargetCivilians
Attack type
Mass shooting, Islamic terrorism, mass murder
WeaponPistol with silencer[1]
Deaths4
Injured6
AssailantGökmen Tanis
MotiveIslamic extremism[2]
Possible retaliation to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings
ConvictedMurder with terrorist intent (4 counts)
Attempted murder with terrorist intent (3 counts)
Terrorism (17 counts)
VerdictLife imprisonment

On the morning of 18 March 2019,[3] four people were killed and six others were injured in a mass shooting on a tram in Utrecht, Netherlands.[4] One of the injured died of his injuries ten days later.[5] Gökmen Tanis, a 37-year-old Dutch citizen (before being stripped of citizenship in 2022), originally from Turkey, was arrested later that day following a major security operation and manhunt.[6][7] He was later convicted of murder with terrorist intent and sentenced to life in prison. The shooting was classified as an act of Islamic extremism.[8][9][10]

Attack

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At about 10:45 CET (09:45 UTC), a shooting took place on a light rail near the 24 Oktoberplein junction in Utrecht.[11] The shooter fled in a car, leading to a large scale police manhunt, which lasted for much of the day.[12] Several hours later, the police arrested Gökmen Tanis, a 37-year-old man born in Turkey.[13][14][15] In addition, two further arrests were made in connection to the shooting.[16] Police impounded a red Renault Clio in connection with the attack.[17][18]

Initially, it was reported that one of the women shot may have been the target due to "family reasons" and other passengers coming to her aid were then also targeted.[19] However, law enforcement later announced there was no evidence of any connection between Tanis and the victims. Instead, a note found in the getaway car hinted at terrorism being the motive.[20]

Victims

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Three people were killed and seven others were injured, three severely.[21][4] The injured were taken to the University Medical Center Utrecht.[22] The three people killed were identified as two men from Utrecht aged 49 and 28, and a 19-year-old woman from the nearby city of Vianen.[23] A neighbour of the murdered 19-year-old started a crowd-funding action to cover the costs of her funeral, reaching the target within hours. It received so many donations that it was turned into a fund for all of the victims of the attack.[24][25] The 49-year-old victim, Rinke Terpstra, broke a window in the tram which allowed at least five people to escape. Terpstra was posthumously awarded the Erepenning voor Menslievend Hulpbetoon for his actions.[26][27][28]

A 74-year-old man injured in the shooting died of his injuries on 28 March,[29] bringing the death toll to four.[5]

Perpetrator

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Gökmen Tanis [nl] was arrested after a manhunt on the day of the attack.[30][31][32]

Tanis grew up in Yozgat, Turkey, and came to the Netherlands in 1993 with his parents and two brothers. His parents divorced in 2008 and since then he had lost contact with his father.[33] Until 2017, he lived mainly with his mother. In the Utrecht neighborhood Kanaleneiland, Tanis is known for his hair color as 'De Rode Turk' or 'Lokman'. As of 2011, Tanis has been intermittently addicted to hard drugs. According to his family and local residents, he was very aggressive when he used drugs, and, apart from his interactions with other drug users, he was almost always seen alone. In the periods between his addictions he focused more on his Sunni faith.[34][35] At the time of his arrest, Tanis was about to be evicted due to rent arrears, while he also had outstanding fines. He lived alone at the time, but was engaged and had wedding plans.[36]

In August 2011, Tanis and another man were recorded verbally harassing Chantal Hanse [fy], then a reporter for GeenStijl, during a street interview by the Oudegracht. The video was popularly shared on the Dutch-language video site Dumpert.[37][38]

On December 7, 2013, Tanis was arrested in Kanaleneiland after firing 10 shots at an apartment building with a 9mm Beretta while under the influence of alcohol. He was convicted of illegal possession of weapons & sentenced to 150 days in prison, 49 of which were conditional.[39]

On 11 July 2017, Tanis raped a woman with whom he was acquainted through their joint cocaine addiction. On the day of the incident, Tanis had went to her residence while drunk, then briefly left to assault and rob a teenage boy in the neighbourhood. Upon his return 20 minutes later, Tanis was also under the influence of narcotics and proceeded to rape and beat the victim. Tanis was arrested and indicted, claiming to police that the encounter had been consensual.[40] Tanis faced trial for the rape two weeks before the tram attack.[2] Two days before the shooting, he was released after a two-week sentence at Lelystad prison, where he had reportedly been further radicalised and was known for attacking guards with headbutts.[41] He was due to serve four months in prison for a burglary committed in September 2018.[42]

On 22 March 2019, Tanis confessed to being the sole perpetrator of the shooting.[43] Another suspect was arrested but then released.[9] A letter found in the hijacked car the suspect fled in suggested terrorist motivations;[44] some witnesses claimed they heard the suspect say "Allahu akbar".[45] The public prosecutor charged the suspect with four counts of murder with a terrorist motive.[43]

On 1 July 2019, the contents of the found letter were made public. The letter read: "I am doing this for my religion. You people are killing Muslims and want to take our religion away from us. You will not succeed in that. Allah is great."[46] (Dutch: "Ik doe dit voor mijn geloof. Jullie maken moslims dood en willen jullie ons geloof van ons afpakken, maar gaat niet lukken. Allah is groot.")[47] Additionally, the silencer attached to the handgun used in the killings was inscribed with "texts referring to Islam", apparently emulating the writings on one of the rifles and its magazines used in the Christchurch mosque shootings three days earlier.[48] In court, Tanis represented himself after denying his right to a court-appointed legal defence. He stated that he committed the shooting in retaliation for the killing of Muslims abroad, telling the judge "I wanted to show you people that you are not made of diamond and that we are not made of sand" ("Ik wilde laten zien dat jullie niet van diamant zijn en wij niet van zand.")[47]

On 20 March 2020, Tanis was sentenced to life in prison.[8] He was also convicted of the 2017 rape charge, but due to already getting a life sentence, no additional prison term was added. Instead, Tanis was required to pay the requested compensation of €30,000 to the victim.[49][40]

On 17 February 2021, Tanis attacked two guards while incarcerated at De Schie prison [nl] in Rotterdam. One guard was stabbed with a home-made stabbing weapon in his face and neck. His minor injuries were treated in the hospital. A second guard had a pan of hot oil thrown at him, but was not injured. Tanis also destroyed gym and cooking equipment in the recreational room.[50]

In March 2022, he was stripped of his Dutch citizenship and lost his passport.[51] If he gets paroled, he must leave the country because he's an undesirable alien.

In November 2024, Tanis was convicted of attempted murder, attempted severe assault and vandalism after a retrial for his 2021 assault case. No punitive measures had been imposed during a first trial, but an appeal was entered by the public prosecutor's office, arguing that even if a sentence would likely only be symbolic, crimes committed during incarceration by those with life sentences should still be punished. He received an additional 7 years imprisonment, which would be served in case of early release.[52][49]

Aftermath

[edit]

After the attack, the threat level in the province of Utrecht was unprecedentedly raised to level 5, the highest level.[53][54] After the suspect was caught, it was reduced to Level 4.[7] Police presence was increased at railway stations, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht, and at the country's airports.[53][55] Tram services in the city were cancelled.[56][57] Elite police forces carrying semi-automatic weapons guarded Jewish community buildings.[58] Mosques in the city were evacuated, and those elsewhere in the country were given increased security, likely due to the recent mosque shootings in New Zealand.[22]

The day after the shooting, all national flags on government buildings in the Netherlands and at Dutch diplomatic posts were flown at half-mast on request of Prime Minister Mark Rutte.[59] Dutch royal residences flew a black banner, symbolising mourning, alongside the customary royal standard.[60]

  • Police cars at the cordon near the 24 Oktoberplein, Utrecht, 18 March 2019.
    Police cars at the cordon near the 24 Oktoberplein, Utrecht, 18 March 2019.
  • Cordoning of 24 Oktoberplein, Utrecht, 18 March 2019
    Cordoning of 24 Oktoberplein, Utrecht, 18 March 2019
  • Flowers to commemorate the victims of the tram attack on 18 March 2019 at the 24 Oktoberplein, Utrecht
    Flowers to commemorate the victims of the tram attack on 18 March 2019 at the 24 Oktoberplein, Utrecht
  • Local residents bring flowers to commemorate the victims of the tram attack
    Local residents bring flowers to commemorate the victims of the tram attack
  • Local residents have brought flowers to commemorate the victims of the tram attack. City flag of Utrecht
    Local residents have brought flowers to commemorate the victims of the tram attack. City flag of Utrecht
  • School children of UniC and the International School of Utrecht, Utrecht are allowed to go home after the alert for the tram attack 18 March 2019 afternoon
    School children of UniC and the International School of Utrecht, Utrecht are allowed to go home after the alert for the tram attack 18 March 2019 afternoon

2023 Commemoration

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On 18 March 2023 the 2019 shooting was publicly commemorated by a speech by Mayor Sharon Dijksma near the location of the shooting. Flowers were laid down, and a special poem by city poet Ruben van Gogh was inaugurated. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no yearly commemorations were held in previous years. Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius was present at the ceremony.

  • Speech by Utrecht Mayor Sharon Dijksma
    Speech by Utrecht Mayor Sharon Dijksma
  • The public laid down flowers
    The public laid down flowers
  • A participant adjusted the flowers
    A participant adjusted the flowers
  • Poem by Ruben van Gogh
    Poem by Ruben van Gogh
  • Family and friends attach flowers for a Frisian victim to the tram track fence
    Family and friends attach flowers for a Frisian victim to the tram track fence

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Dutch Court Convicts Man in Deadly Tram Terrorist Attack". The New York Times. 20 March 2020. ISSN 0362-4331.
  2. ^ a b "European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend report (TE-SAT) 2020". Europol. pp. 33, 35–36. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Dutch Court Convicts Man in Deadly Tram Terrorist Attack". The New York Times. 20 March 2020. ISSN 0362-4331.
  4. ^ a b "LIVE: Rutte legt bloemen, Tanis uiterlijk vrijdag voor rechter, "Utrecht, stay strong"". RTV Utrecht (in Dutch). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Fourth victim dies following Utrecht tram attack". NBC News. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Dutch shooting: Utrecht police arrest suspect after three killed - BBC News". BBC News. Bbc.com. 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  7. ^ a b Meijer, Bart (18 March 2019). "Dutch police arrest Turkish man suspected of killing three in tram shooting". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Gökmen T. krijgt levenslang voor aanslag in Utrechtse tram". nu.nl (in Dutch). 20 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Utrecht tram shooting suspect confesses, claims he acted alone". Deutsche Welle, 22 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  10. ^ Franck, Roeland (22 March 2019). "Gökmen Tanis bekent schietpartij in tram in Utrecht". AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  11. ^ Henley, Jon (18 March 2019). "Utrecht shooting: several injured on tram as man opens fire". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  12. ^ Davies, Gareth (18 March 2019). "Utrecht shooting: At least one dead after 'potential terror attack' on tram". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Politie geeft foto vrij van verdachte" (in Dutch). 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  14. ^ "Politie Utrecht zoekt 37-jarige verdachte Gökmen Tanis" (in Dutch). 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  15. ^ "Utrecht tram shooting: Suspected gunman arrested". LBC. 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  16. ^ "Vermoedelijke dader en twee andere verdachten aanslag Utrecht opgepakt". NU (in Dutch). 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  17. ^ "Drie doden bij aanslag in Utrecht, inwoners moeten binnenblijven" (in Dutch). NOS: Nederlandse Omroep Stichting, Hilversum. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  18. ^ "'Gestolen' rode Renault Clio aangetroffen in Utrecht". Telegraaf (in Dutch). 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  19. ^ Jon Henley and Jennifer Rankin (18 March 2019). "Utrecht tram shooting suspect arrested after three killed". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  20. ^ "Three dead as Dutch police hunt tram gunman". 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  21. ^ a b Schuetze, Christopher F.; Barthelemy, Claire; Schreuer, Milan (18 March 2019). "Gunman Attacks Tram Passengers in Utrecht, Dutch Police Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  22. ^ "Dutch shooting: Letter suggests motive in Utrecht attack". BBC News. Bbc.com. 19 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  23. ^ "Inzamelingsactie Roos (19) groot succes, nu voor alle slachtoffers aanslag". RTV Utrecht (in Dutch).
  24. ^ "Kleine bijdrage in kosten afscheid lieve Roos". Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  25. ^ "Hero who died saving 5 during Utrecht tram mass shooting will receive top honor". NL Times. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  26. ^ "Rinke (49) werd vijf jaar geleden vermoord bij tramaanslag in Utrecht: "Hij redde levens"". nos.nl (in Dutch). 18 March 2024.
  27. ^ Thijssen, Wil (18 March 2023). "Rinke moet een raam intrappen, want de tramdeur blijft dicht". De Volkskrant.
  28. ^ "Zoon van vierde slachtoffer aanslag Utrecht: 'Hij heeft zo veel geleden'". NOS (in Dutch). 28 March 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  29. ^ "Dutch police arrest tram shooting suspect". 19 March 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  30. ^ "Utrecht shootings suspect accused of rape, jailed for burglary and cleared of manslaughter". The Independent. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  31. ^ "Buurtgenoten: 'Gökmen Tanis geen terrorist'". Panorama (in Dutch). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  32. ^ Schreuer, Milan; Pérez-Peña, Richard (18 March 2019). "Brazen Shooting Traumatizes Dutch City, Three Days After Christchurch Killings". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  33. ^ en-religious.html 'Gökmen T. as an addict aggressive, quieter and religiously kicked off' | NOS NOS.nl, March 21, 2019
  34. ^ "Country Reports on Terrorism 2021: Netherlands". United States Department of State.
  35. ^ Verdachte Gökmen T. had schulden en zou woning kwijtraken RTL Nieuws, 21 maart 2019
  36. ^ "Verdachte Gökmen T. was in 2011 te zien in video GeenStijl". nos.nl (in Dutch). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  37. ^ "GeenStijl: 030-verdachte Gokmen Tanis is 'Haatdemocraat' uit GeenStijlTV video uit 2011". GeenStijl (in Dutch).
  38. ^ "Dronken Gökmen Tanis loste in 2013 schoten met een Beretta 9mm". rtvultrect.nl. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  39. ^ a b Koop, Peter (27 May 2020). "Tramschutter Gökmen T. ook schuldig aan verkrachting van vrouw". Het Parool.
  40. ^ "'Verdachte aanslag Utrecht mishandelde bewaarder in Lelystad'". Omroep Flevoland (in Dutch). 6 April 2019.
  41. ^ EenVandaag (29 June 2019). "Welk motief had Gökmen T. voor de aanslag in Utrecht? Vandaag staat hij voor de rechter". EenVandaag (in Dutch).
  42. ^ a b "Gökmen T. bekent aanslag Utrecht, motief blijft onduidelijk". NOS (in Dutch). 22 March 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  43. ^ "OM: Geen relatie tussen slachtoffers en Gökmen Tanis". AD.nl (in Dutch). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  44. ^ "OM houdt vanwege briefje ernstig rekening met terrorisme, geen relatie met slachtoffers". RTV Utrecht (in Dutch). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  45. ^ "Inhoud briefje van tramschutter Gökmen T. bekend: 'Ik deed het voor mijn geloof'". Gids.tv (in Dutch). 1 July 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  46. ^ a b Ozinga, Riks; Danvers, Joost (1 July 2019). "Schutter tramaanslag Utrecht: "Ik wilde laten zien dat jullie niet van diamant zijn"". RTV Utrecht (in Dutch).
  47. ^ "European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend Report" (PDF). Europol.
  48. ^ a b "Nog eens 7 jaar cel voor tramschutter Gökmen T. die levenslange straf uitzit". nos.nl (in Dutch). 27 November 2024.
  49. ^ "Tramschutter Gökmen Tanis steekt gevangenisbewaker in het gezicht". AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  50. ^ Schildkamp, Victor (6 September 2022). "Dader tramaanslag Gökmen Tanis is zijn Nederlandse paspoort kwijt". AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  51. ^ "OM eist in hoger beroep 7 jaar gevangenisstraf voor Gökmen T. voor poging tot moord in PI". Openbaar Ministerie (in Dutch). 13 November 2024.
  52. ^ a b "Gunman opens fire in Utrecht tram". BBC News. 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  53. ^ "Dutch PM "very concerned" by possible terrorist attack in Utrecht". NL Times. 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  54. ^ "Extra toezicht bij stations en moskeeën in Rotterdam na mogelijke aanslag Utrecht". rijnmond.nl (in Dutch). 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  55. ^ "Gunman opens fire inside Dutch tram". 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  56. ^ @UOV_info (18 March 2019). "Ten gevolge van een schietpartij ligt het tramverkeer in Utrecht momenteel geheel stil. We weten nog niet hoe lang dit gaat duren. Van/naar Nieuwegein verwijzen we u nu door naar de buslijnen 74 en 77" (Tweet) (in Dutch) – via Twitter.
  57. ^ Liphshiz, Cnaan (19 March 2019). "Deadly Utrecht Attack Leads to Heightened Security for Dutch Jews". The Jerusalem Post. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  58. ^ "Rutte: vlaggen op overheidsgebouwen vandaag halfstok". nos.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  59. ^ "Vlaggen in regio halfstok als eerbetoon slachtoffers aanslag Utrecht". AD (in Dutch). ANP. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
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