Dutch police are searching for a Turkish-born man in connection with a shooting on a tram in the city of Utrecht that caused multiple injuries and one feared death Monday.
The Dutch national terrorism chief said the incident on the tram was one of “multiple” shootings in the city.
“Shooting took place this morning at several locations in Utrecht,” Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg reporters in The Hague. “A major police operation is under way to arrest the gunman.”
Aalbersberg declined to comment on the number of victims.
Police said that several trauma helicopters had been deployed to the scene to assist the wounded and appealed to the public to stay clear of the area to allow first responders to provide the necessary help.
“The surrounding area has been cordoned off and we are investigating the matter,” Utrecht police said.
A police spokesman is quoted as saying that all possibilities are being considered, including a terrorist motive. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he was “deeply concerned” about the incident.
Local media have reported that counter-terrorism police were at the scene and showed images of masked, armed police and emergency vehicles surrounding a tram that had stopped near a road bridge.