The Dutch tram attack suspect has the 'IQ of a shrimp' as those who knew him say he had gone mad on heroin and had countless legal troubles, as police investigate a terror motive.
Turkish-born Gökmen Tanis, 37, had been out of jail for two weeks on a rape case when he allegedly opened fire on a tram in Utrecht on Monday morning, killing three people - including a teenager and a father-of-three - and injuring five others.
Tanis was described as having a 'rap sheet from here to Tokyo,' including weapons charges, and one of his neighbours said the suspect spiralled into madness on heroin and that Tanis 'has the IQ of a shrimp.'
But another described the alleged killer as 'nice,' as the authorities try to piece together his motives.
Dutch authorities are 'seriously' investigating a potential terrorist motive for Monday's deadly shooting on a tram in the city of Utrecht, after it was revealed that the main suspect has no known link to the victims.
Police and prosecutors said suspicions of terrorism had been prompted by a letter found in the suspect's getaway car, a stolen red Renault Clio found abandoned a few hundred yards from the scene.
The shooting saw the terrorism threat level in Utrecht raised to the highest possible, and sparked a manhunt during which police released photographs of Tanis captured on the tram's CCTV just minutes before the shooting began at 10.45am.
This photo, released by Utrecht police, shows Turkish-born Gökman Tanis, 37, on the tram's CCTV just minutes before the shooting began at 10.45am on Monday. He was later arrested by police late Monday afternoon
Tanis, who has been accused of rape by a 47-year-old woman, is seen on the tram just a few minutes before shooting began, which left three people dead - including a married father and a teenager - and five others injured
Incident: Emergency services cordoned off a tram in Utrecht, Holland, where an assailant opened fire on commuters at around 10.45am local time on Monday
Dutch police take into custody Turkish-born Tanis, 37, after finding the suspect in the 11-flat property
Tanis - who 'was known' to authorities - was detained during a raid on the Oudernoord district of Utrecht last night, and the threat level in the province has since been downgraded from level five to four.
A witness told MailOnline: 'The police told me to go inside my home for my own safety. There were many officers and they had drones flying above too.'
Tanis was hauled out of the flat at gunpoint with his face covered, after officers climbed over a barbed wire wall to surprise the alleged shooter from the back of the building, which contains 11 flats. Police also found a firearm after his arrest.
Dutch media reports today that he could finally be caught after logging on to his internet banking account via an unknown mobile phone number. Police traced the mobile phone, and were able to arrest Tanis.
Two other arrests were also made by police probing the attacks, and two unnamed men from Utrecht aged 23 and 27 remain in custody. Reports said the two other suspects were brothers but unrelated to Tanis.
Tanis' relatives in Turkey told the state-run Anadolu news agency yesterday that the 37-year-old had opened fire on a relative 'for family reasons' and later shot at others trying to intervene.
However, Utrecht Police and the Dutch Public Prosecution Service have today said that the investigation has so far not revealed any relationship between the main suspect and the victims.
'So far, a terrorist motive is being been seriously taken into account,' the Public Prosecution Service said in a statement.
'This is based on a letter found in the getaway car among other things and the nature of the facts. Other motives have not been excluded, these are also being investigated.'
Many people could be seen carrying flowers to 24 Oktoberplein in central Utrecht today to pay tribute to the victims of yesterday's shooting
Poignant: A tram passes in the background as flowers are seen near the site of Monday's shooting which left three people dead and several others wounded
A woman and her child lay a bunch of flowers at a makeshift memorial at 24 October square in Utrecht
Flowers with a note which reads 'We are sad and deeply shaken, Utrecht has been hit hard; straight through the heart. Strength !! Peace and Love,' have been left near the site of the shooting
Flowers are placed at the site of a shooting in Utrecht, the Netherlands
This comes as the three victims of yesterday's shooting have been revealed as a 19-year-old woman from the nearby city of Vianen, a 28-year-old man from the same neighbourhood as Tanis and a 49-year-old married father-of-three.
Roos Verschuur, 19, worked as a waitress in a snack bar in the suburb of Vianen and was caught up in the attack travelling through the city on her day off.
Miss Verschuur's boyfriend Wilmar Ijskes has today spoken of his grief, and told MailOnline: 'She was beautiful and she was strong. She was my lovely girlfriend. This is a terrible tragedy.
Remembered: A friend shared this photograph of 19-year-old Roos Verschuur, who was killed in the tram attack in Utrecht
'I can't tell you what I feel about the man who killed her. I am too angry about it
'Roos was a very happy girl. Why would anybody do this to her?'
Rinke Terpstra, 49, worked in IT for the Dutch rail network management company ProRail, and coached several youth football teams with the Utrecth club C.O.V. DESTO in his spare time.
In a statement released by C.O.V. DESTO, Chairman Frits Veldhuis paid tribute to Mr Terpstra, writing that he had been involved in the club for a long time 'where he himself played football, tennis and also trained both his sons and daughter with passion.'
Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte said some people wounded in the tram attack 'are still in critical condition', with 'three people fighting for their lives'.
Dutch authorities today revealed that the three people seriously injured are a 20-year-old woman from Utrecht, a 74-year-old man from the nearby village of De Meern and a 21-year-old woman from Nieuwegein, north of Utrecht.
A stream of mourners laid flowers on Tuesday at the site of the attack near the 24 Oktoberplein square.
'One of the victims was my friend's girlfriend. So coming here today was the least I could do,' Marco van Rooijen, 43, told AFP.
'I am here to pay homage to the victims and to support their families,' said local resident Yvette Koetjeloozekoot, 29.
But there was also growing anger after it emerged that the suspect had only been freed from jail in a rape case two weeks ago.
Tanis was originally arrested in 2017, accused of sexually assaulting a 47-year-old woman, then released from pre-trial detention, before being taken back into custody when he breached his bail conditions, the central Netherlands district court said. He was freed again at the start of March.
In 2014, he was also convicted of 'illegal possession of weapons' and attempted theft but acquitted of attempted manslaughter. He was also convicted in recent months for shoplifting and burglary, but was appealing these rulings.
Broadcaster NOS meanwhile said some of his relatives had links to fundamentalist Islamic groups, but also that he was known for unstable behaviour after divorcing his wife two years ago.
Far-right politician Geert Wilders has demanded that Justice
