Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
24 Oktoberplein shooting in Utrecht
The scene of a shooting on the 24 Oktoberplein in Utrecht. 18 March 2019 - Credit: photo: Politie
Crime
24 Oktoberplein
Utrecht
mass shooting
terrorism
terrorist attack
shooting
Gökmen T.
Ferdinand Grapperhaus
assault
Ministry of Justice and Security
Tweede Kamer
pre-trial detention
Thursday, 25 April 2019 - 11:50
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Mass shooter assaulted prison worker weeks before Utrecht attack

Gokmen T., the suspected gunman in a mass shooting in Utrecht on March 18th, assaulted a prison employee a few weeks before the attack on 24 Oktoberplein, Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus of Justice and Security said in a letter to the Tweede Kamer, the Volkskrant reports.

The deputy director of the prison reported the assault on March 8th, but by then T.'s pre-trail custody had already been suspended. Just before T. was released, he received a "disciplinary punishment", Grapperhaus said, though he did not say what this punishment entailed. "In the interest of the investigation", the Minister can not say anything more about the incident.

At the time of the assault, T. was in custody for rape. On March 1st, the Arnhem-Leeuwarden court suspended his pre-trail detention after T. explicitly promised to cooperate with an psychiatric examination and a report by the probation service. According to the newspaper, T. did not hold to these same promises at an earlier stage, after which he was arrested again.

The man already has a long criminal record, including convictions for theft, burglary, possession of stolen goods, and firearms possession, among other things. According to Grapperhaus, the facts that emerged from T.'s criminal history and the handling of ongoing cases against him, "prompted further evaluation of the functioning of the judicial system on a number of points". He did not say what exactly these points are.

The Ministry will also investigate whether T. became radicalized in prison and how potential signals of radicalization were dealt with at the time.

T. will appear in court for the first time on July 1st. He is facing multiple charges of murder or manslaughter with terrorist intent, attempts thereto, and threats with terrorist intent. T. confessed to the mass shooting and said that he acted alone when he opened fire on a tram on 24 Oktoberplein. Three people were shot dead at the scene. Three were seriously injured. One of them succumbed to his injuries a week later.

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • TikTok showing triggering videos to people with eating disorders: report
  • Upcycle shop at Rotterdam Central Station gives second life to NS material
  • Dutch government can't limit family reunification for refugees, Council of State rules
  • New results in MH17 investigation presented this afternoon
  • Ticketmaster under fire for reselling Lowlands tickets at even higher prices
  • 42% of secondary school teachers witnessed anti-Semitism in class

Top stories

  • 42% of secondary school teachers witnessed anti-Semitism in class
  • 40% of home buyers end 2022 were first-time buyers
  • Dutch team rescues 6 people from rubble in Turkey; Death toll climbs to 8,100
  • Rutte tells Erdogan the Dutch can offer more help; Dutch donate millions in relief aid
  • Netherlands, Germany & Denmark buying at least 100 Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine
  • Care farm ordered closed for physically, mentally abusing people with disabilities

© 2012-2023, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content