Police investigate possible ‘terrorist motive’ in Dutch tram shooting

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – The Latest on a shooting in a tram in the Netherlands (all times local):

12:35 p.m.

The Dutch anti-terror coordinator has raised the threat alert to its highest level around the central Dutch town of Utrecht following the shooting incident on a tram in the city, with the shooter still on the run.

Anti-terror coordinator Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg said in a statement that the “threat level has gone to 5, exclusively for the Utrecht province,” referring to the highest level.

“The culprit is still on the run. A terror motive cannot be excluded,” he said in a Twitter message. He called on citizens to closely follow the indications of the local police.

Dutch police say they are looking for a least one person who might have fled by car.

Spokesman Bernhard Jens did not exclude more people might be involved.

“We want to try to catch the person responsible as soon as possible,” Jens said.

12:30 p.m.

Police have erected a white tent over an area where a body appears to be lying next to a tram following reports of a shooting in the Dutch city of Utrecht.

Earlier, footage showed what appeared to be a body lying under a white blanket.

Police had said that there were “multiple” people wounded in the shooting Monday morning.

12:10 p.m.

Police in the central Dutch city of Utrecht say they are investigating a shooting in a tram that left “multiple” people injured and are considering the possibility of a “terrorist motive.”

Police, including heavily armed officers, flooded the area after the shooting that happened Monday morning on a tram at a busy traffic intersection.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the situation “very worrying” and the country’s counterterror coordinator said in a tweet that a crisis team was meeting to discuss the situation.

There have been no reports yet of any suspects arrested.

11:40 a.m.

Police in the central Dutch city of Utrecht say on Twitter that “multiple” people have been injured as a result of a shooting in a tram in a residential neighborhood.

Utrecht police say that trauma helicopters were sent to the scene Monday and they are appealing to the public to stay away to allow first responders to do their work.

Further details were not immediately available.

AP-WF 3/18/2019 6:34

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