After yesterday’s shooting in Utrecht, which left three people dead and nine others injured, flags around the country will fly at half-staff today, said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at a press conference yesterday evening.
What we know so far
The press conference was held by Rutte and the Minister of Security and Justice, Ferdinand Grapperhaus. It was held less than an hour before the main suspect, Gökmen T, was arrested. Rutte did not explicitly state that it was a terrorist attack, and said, “let’s not make this smaller than it is. It’s an attack. Whatever the motive is.”
Our thoughts go to the victims’ relatives, to the families who have lost a beloved member. Our thoughts also go to the wounded, who are now fighting for their lives. The whole of the Netherlands shares your deep pain.
Full statement ▶ https://t.co/VBOPf232R3
— Mark Rutte (@MinPres) March 18, 2019
T’s family have also said that he was suffering from mental health issues and problems at home. It is also known that he was due to appear in court just 2 weeks ago for three different cases, reports NOS. To know more about the eye witness accounts, see our previous article. Two other suspects have been arrested, and detained, although we are not sure how they could be connected.
Wat betreft de drie verdachten die zijn aangehouden in verband met het schietincident aan het #24oktoberplein in #Utrecht. Deze drie personen zitten nog vast en zijn nog altijd verdachte.
— Politie Utrecht (@PolitieUtrecht) March 19, 2019
With everyone’s attention on getting to the bottom of this shooting in Utrecht, Rutte briefly touched upon the upcoming elections. In light of the tragic event, the debate scheduled for Monday night was cancelled, and campaigning was suspended. However, the elections itself will go forward as planned.
Featured picture: wikipedia / cc / rhino
