Prosecutors investigating the Utrecht shooting in which three people died on a tram say a letter was discovered in the gunman’s getaway car and it is one of the reasons why a terrorist motive is being seriously considered.
Three people were killed and three others seriously wounded in the attack in the central city of Utrecht.
Turkish-born suspect Gokmen Tanis was detained on Monday evening.
No connection has been found between him and the victims.
Prosecutors say a firearm was found when Tanis was detained.
“So far a terrorist motive is being seriously taken into account. Among other things a letter found in the getaway car and the nature of the facts give rise to that,” a statement said (in Dutch), without detailing the contents of the letter.
Other motives have not been ruled out.
The red Renault Clio was, according to police, stolen in a carjacking before the shooting and later found in Utrecht’s Tichelaarslaan close to where the suspect was arrested.
Neighbours had earlier described the suspect as a “loser” and a petty criminal rather than a terrorist.
Dutch justice officials confirmed on Tuesday that he had been released from custody recently in a rape case, which was due to go to court in July.
He has been convicted of crimes this month as well as in the past.
Two other suspects are in custody, aged 23 and 27, and authorities are assessing if they had any involvement in the attack. Their lawyer told Dutch media the men were brothers but not related to the main suspect.
Who are the victims?
Two of the three people who died have been named:
- Roos Verschuur, 19, worked in a snack-bar in Vianen south of Utrecht
- Rinke Terpstra, 49, was as football coach with the Desto youth club – he had three children
- The third victim was a 28-year-old man from Utrecht
Three of the wounded are in a serious condition and Mayor Jan van Zanen said he was aiming to meet the victims’ families later. Two are women in their early twenties and a man in his seventies.
Flags were flying at half-mast on public buildings in the Netherlands on Tuesday and flowers were laid at the site of the attack in Utrecht’s 24 Oktoberplein.