Dutch prosecutors and police announced on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, that the presumption of a "terrorist motive" for Monday's deadly shooting on a tram in the city of Utrecht was "serious," after a letter found in the main suspect's gateway car.

Dutch police found a stolen red Renault Clio, saying it had been used by the main suspect to escape, as it was found abandoned a few hundred yards from the scene.

In addition to the letter, it was revealed that the main suspect has no known link to the victims, which asserts it was a terrorist attack.

Gökman Tanis, a Turkish-born 37-year old man opened fire on a tram in Utrecht on Monday morning, March 18, 2019, killing three people, including a teenager and a father-of-three, and injuring five others.

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, according to the Daily Mail Newspaper. 

Dutch police arrested on late Monday, March 18, 2019, the main Turkish suspect, and two other men, aged 23 and 27.

Dutch and Turkish media reports stated that a family row could have been the motive for the shooting; however, Dutch authorities said they do not rule out other motives.