Dutch tram shooting: 3 dead, several hurt in possible terror attack, authorities say

A shooting on a Dutch tram left at least three people dead and several others injured in Utrecht, according to authorities. >> Read more trending news  The city’s mayor, Jan van Zanen, said three people were killed in the attack and nine others wounded, according to The Associated Press. Authorities have classed the incident as a possible terror attack. Update 10:25 a.m. EDT March 18: Utrecht Mayor Jan van Zanen said three of the nine people wounded in Monday’s shooting were seriously injured, according to The Associated Press. “We cannot exclude, even stronger, we assume a terror motive,” van Zanen said Monday. “Likely there is one attacker, but there could be more.” Police have identified a man wanted in connection to the shooting as Gokmen Tanis, 37. Update 10:10 a.m. EDT March 18: Utrecht Mayor Jan van Zanen said three people were killed and nine people were injured Monday in the Utrecht shooting, according to CNN and The Independent. Update 9:55 a.m. EDT March 18: Dutch police issued a correction Monday on the name of the man wanted in connection with the Utrecht shooting. Authorities said his name was spelled Gokmen Tanis. Officials initially identified the 37-year-old as Gokman Tanis. The Independent reported trains were not being allowed into Utrecht’s central train station in the wake of the shooting. Update 9:25 a.m. EDT March 18: Police in the Netherlands asked for the public’s help Monday locating a man wanted in connection to Monday’s shooting. Authorities warned against approaching the man, identified as Gokman Tanis, 37. Update 8:55 a.m. EDT March 18: The shooter behind Monday’s attack remained at large after the incident, according to Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, the Dutch anti-terror coordinator. “In Utrecht there was a shooting at several locations,' he said Monday at a news conference, according to The Independent. 'A lot is still unclear at this point and local authorities are working hard to establish all the facts. What we already know is that a culprit is at large.' Authorities continue to investigate the shooting. Original report: Utrecht police wrote Monday in a tweet that a “possible terrorist (motive) is part of the investigation” into the shooting, which occurred about 10:45 a.m. local time, according to CNN. >> See the tweet here The gunman remained at large Monday and may have fled the scene in a car, according to BBC News.  After the attack the country’s anti-terror coordinator, Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, raised the terror threat level in Utrecht to 5, its highest level. Check back for updates to this developing story.

Man arrested in Jacksonville for 1999 murder of NYPD officer 

A man wanted in the 1999 shooting of an off-duty New York Police Department officer who later died from his injuries was arrested in Jacksonville almost two decades after the incident, and the head of the NYPD on Sunday offered his thanks to fellow law enforcement for their perseverance. 43-year-old Lester Pearson was taken into custody Friday morning in connection to the death of officer Vincent Ling. NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill tweeted his appreciation Sunday for Jacksonville police and U.S. marshals in the arrest.  'Law enforcement professionals demonstrate time & again that we are patient & that our collaborative forces have a very long reach,' he said.  It was not clear if Pearson had a lawyer who could comment on his behalf. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said it had no information Sunday on the arrest. The U.S. Marshals Service did not return calls seeking comment.  The NYPD did not describe the circumstances of the shooting but, according to a New York Post account at the time, the December 1999 conflict in the Bronx started when the two men ran into each other on the street and an argument ensued. They were connected through the officer's sister.    Ling, who was 27 years old at the time and an undercover officer, was shot in the chest and had a bullet between two vertebrae. He died some time later.  Pearson at that time had an extensive arrest record and one conviction.

The Latest: Trump: Media trying to blame him for NZ attacks

The Latest on the mosque shootings in New Zealand (all times local): 2 a.m. President Donald Trump says he is being unfairly blamed for the New Zealand mosque attacks in which 50 people died. Trump tweeted Monday that the media 'is working overtime to blame me for the horrible attack in New Zealand.' He adds: 'They will have to work very hard to prove that one.' The gunman in last week's attacks left a document in which he called himself a white nationalist and referred to Trump as 'a symbol of renewed white identity.' Trump had expressed sympathy for the victims, but played down the threat of white nationalism across the world, saying he didn't consider it a rising threat despite data suggesting it's growing. In the past, Trump has drawn criticism for saying 'both sides' were to blame for violence at a deadly white supremacist demonstration. ___ 1:30 a.m. Turkey's president has shown parts of a video taken by the attacker who killed 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand to comment on what he called rising Islamophobia. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan showed the clips during campaign rallies for March 31 local elections. The video, which was blurred but had clear sounds of automatic gunfire, was shown to thousands of people at the rallies and was aired live on Turkish television. Erdogan used the video to comment on attacks on Islam and rising Islamophobia. He referred to a manifesto by the suspected attacker, Brenton Tarrant, in which he threatened Turks and vowed to make Istanbul 'Christian owned once more.' New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Monday he told his Turkish counterpart the video doesn't represent New Zealand. ___ 1 a.m. The top cleric in the Muslim World League is traveling to New Zealand to pray for the victims of an attack on two mosques that killed 50 people. The Saudi-based league said Monday that Secretary General Sheikh Mohammad Alissa will offer condolences to families of the victims, pray for the dead and visit the wounded. An Australian white supremacist is charged with murder in the shootings. After Friday's attack in Christchurch, Alissa issued a statement saying the barbarity and hatred displayed in the shootings 'parallel' the violent acts of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. He said governments and faith organizations need to work together to encourage religious tolerance and understanding. ___ 12:30 a.m. Pakistanis are observing a day of mourning to remember victims of the New Zealand mosque attacks and honor a man who died after trying to tackle the gunman. Nine Pakistanis were among the 50 people killed when an immigrant-hating white nationalist opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch during Friday prayers. Among the slain worshippers was Naeem Rashid, a 50-year-old Pakistani who tried to snatch the gun from the attacker. Rashid moved to New Zealand from Pakistan with his family when he was 11. On Monday, Pakistan's flag was flying at half-staff as a sign of respect for the victims. Government officials, opposition leaders, relatives and friends visited the homes of Pakistanis killed in New Zealand to convey their condolences. Relatives and family members of the slain Pakistanis said the victims were 'martyrs.' ___ 9 p.m. Australian TV news networks have shown what they say are the mother and sister of alleged Christchurch mass killer Brenton Tarrant returning to their homes in eastern Australia with police searching for clues in the New Zealand mosque attacks. Tarrant, an Australian, grew up in the New South Wales town of Grafton. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he has only spent 45 days in Australia in the past three years. The two people identified as mother Sharon Tarrant and sister Lauren Tarrant did not comment to the media after police searched their homes. They are reportedly in protective police custody. Nine News said they returned to their homes for the first time Monday since at least 50 people were slaughtered in Christchurch last Friday. The mother lives in the New South Wales town of Lawrence and the sister in Sandy Beach. Australian police said the aim of the search was to obtain material that could help New Zealand police in their investigation of the attack. New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the Australian police searches 'haven't discovered any matters that would threaten their public.' ___ 6:15 p.m. New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush says gunman who killed 50 people and wounded others at two Christchurch mosques acted alone but may have had support. Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant was arrested moments after the shootings on Friday. He was charged with a single count of murder and a judge said Saturday he may face other charges. Bush said at a Monday news conference that 'We believe absolutely there was only one attacker responsible for this.' But he added that the support of other people hasn't been ruled out and is 'a very, very important part of our investigation.' ___ 5:20 p.m. New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern says gun law reforms will be announced within 10 days following the Christchurch shootings that killed 50 people. She said Cabinet ministers had met and made an in-principle decision to tighten gun ownership but details still need to be worked out. Ardern also announced an inquiry into the country's intelligence services. The Australian white supremacist charged in the massacre wasn't detected before his well-planned attack on two mosques and there have been concerns intelligence agencies were overly focused on the Muslim community in detecting and preventing security risks. ___ 5 p.m. Australia is making public grants available to help places of worship bolster security after an Australian white supremacist was accused of a terror attack in New Zealand. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says 55 million Australian dollars ($39 million) in total will be made available to add security video, fencing, lighting and alarms. Morrison says religious freedom has to start with the right to worship and meet safely without fear of violence. Australian Brenton Tarrant was charged with murder over the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch in which 50 people were killed. He grew up in the New South Wales town of Grafton and had lived in New Zealand in recent years. ___ 2:40 p.m. Australian police have raided two homes in New South Wales state as part of the investigation into the New Zealand mosque shootings. Australian Brenton Tarrant has been charged with murder over the shootings in Christchurch on Friday. Police said in a statement the raids occurred in the towns of Sandy Beach and Lawrence early on Monday. The statement says: 'The primary aim of the activity is to formally obtain material that may assist New Zealand Police in their ongoing investigation.' Tarrant grew up to the north of the raided towns in the New South Wales town of Grafton. ___ 2:20 p.m. The owner of Christchurch's 'Gun City' store said it sold four guns and ammunition to the alleged mosque shooter through a 'police-verified online mail order process.' David Tipple said in a statement that he has provided police with the purchase records and full details of the sales, which did not include military style semi-automatic weapons. Tipple said he and staff are 'dismayed and disgusted' by Friday's shootings. The store has been criticized for leaving out a roadside advertising billboard that shows a parent helping children with rifle target practice. Referring to the man arrested after the shootings at two mosques, Tipple said, 'We detected nothing extraordinary about this (gun) license holder.' An Australian man has been charged with murder in the attacks at two Christchurch mosques. ___ 1 p.m. Families of the 50 people killed in the Christchurch mosque shootings are enduring an increasingly agonizing wait for the bodies of victims to be released as New Zealand reels from the unprecedented tragedy. Three days after Friday's attack, New Zealand's deadliest shooting in modern history, relatives were anxiously waiting for word on when they can bury their loved ones. Islamic tradition calls for bodies to be cleansed and buried as soon as possible after death. Aya Al-Umari, whose older brother Hussien Al-Umari died at the Al Noor mosque, said 'It's very unsettling not knowing what's going on, if you just let me know — is he still in the mosque? Is he in a fridge? Where is he?' Authorities say they hope to release all the bodies by Wednesday.