A gunman killed at the very least 14 folks and wounded at the very least 25 others at a Prague college on Thursday earlier than he was killed, in keeping with police and Prague emergency companies, marking the nation’s worst-ever mass capturing.
Czech police responded to the capturing at Charles College’s college of arts constructing in Jan Palach Sq. shortly after 3 p.m. native time. Police mentioned the daddy of the shooter was discovered lifeless earlier on Thursday. The shooter was a pupil within the college of arts.
“We all the time thought that this was a factor that didn’t concern us. Now it seems that, sadly, our world can be altering and the issue of the person shooter is rising right here as effectively,” Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda informed Czech Tv.
Police sealed off the sq. and the realm adjoining to the constructing, positioned in a busy a part of city with a well-liked road main vacationers to Previous City Sq..
A Czech TV stay broadcast confirmed a number of ambulances and police vehicles with flashing lights lined up alongside the constructing with sirens blaring.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala expressed his condolences on social media to these affected by what he characterised as an “inexcusable assault.” He cancelled a deliberate journey to the east of the nation and was en path to Prague as an alternative, he mentioned.
Police had earlier mentioned greater than 15 folks had been killed in the capturing on the college in central Prague, together with the gunman. It was not clear whether or not the newest demise toll included the shooter, however authorities warned that the demise toll might nonetheless rise.
College authorities mentioned they might tighten safety in college buildings with fast impact.
“We mourn the lack of lifetime of members of our college group, categorical our deepest condolences to all of the bereaved and our ideas are with all these affected by the tragedy,” Charles College mentioned in an announcement.
The Czech authorities declared Saturday a nationwide day of mourning.
College students, witnesses describe chaotic scene
Petr Nedoma, director of the Rudolfinum Gallery at a live performance corridor throughout Palach Sq., informed Czech TV he noticed the shooter.
“I noticed a youngster on the gallery who had some weapon in his hand, like an computerized weapon, and capturing towards the Manes Bridge,” he mentioned.
One witness informed information web site iDnes.cz that they obtained off on the tram cease by the varsity and “all of a sudden I heard capturing.”
Klara, a pupil, informed the information web site she was amongst those that police evacuated from the constructing.
“It was terribly scary, there have been a number of policemen all over the place, who had been shouting at us with submachine weapons, telling us to run outdoors,” she mentioned.
An e-mail despatched to employees and college students had mentioned the shooter was in one of many buildings.
“Do not go anyplace,” the e-mail mentioned. “When you’re within the workplaces, lock them and place furnishings in entrance of the door, flip off the lights.”
Gunman impressed by related bloodbath in Russia, police say
Czech police have recognized the shooter as a 24-year-old. He had studied within the Charles College’s humanities college, the place he earned a bachelor of arts in historical past and European research in 2022.
He additionally had a channel on Telegram, during which he wrote in Cyrillic that he needed to hold out a college capturing and was impressed by an identical tragedy that had taken place in Russia, Czech police confirmed to the media.
In different posts, Czech police mentioned he deliberate to inflict as a lot ache as potential.
Prague police Chief Martin Vondrasek mentioned that primarily based on a search of his residence, the gunman was additionally suspected within the killing of one other man and his two-month-old daughter on Dec. 15, within the east of Prague.
The BBC reported that in a night press convention, Czech Inside Minister Vit Rakusan mentioned numerous weapons had been discovered on the college constructing.
“We might have had excessive tens of victims and not using a fast police response,” he mentioned.
The Czech authorities rapidly sought to quell issues that the bloodbath was backed by overseas pursuits.
“There isn’t any indication that it has something to do with worldwide terrorism,” mentioned Rakusan.
Gun crime is comparatively uncommon within the Czech Republic. In December 2019, a 42-year-old gunman killed six folks at a hospital ready room within the jap Czech metropolis of Ostrava earlier than fleeing and fatally capturing himself, police mentioned.
In 2015, a person fatally shot eight folks after which killed himself at a restaurant in Uhersky Brod.
