A 24-year-old Czech pupil shot lifeless his father, then killed 14 individuals and wounded 25 others at his Prague college on Thursday earlier than presumably killing himself, police stated, marking the nation’s worst-ever mass taking pictures.
The federal government declared a day of mourning throughout the central European nation for December 23 to recollect the victims, determined at a particular cupboard assembly with President Petr Pavel.
“I might categorical my nice disappointment together with helpless anger on the pointless lack of so many younger lives,” Pavel stated.
“I wish to categorical my honest condolences to all relations of the victims, to all who have been at this tragic incident, probably the most tragic within the historical past of the Czech Republic.”
Police — who found a big arsenal of weapons on the downtown Prague Charles College constructing the place the taking pictures came about — have been tipped off earlier within the day the suspect was possible heading to Prague from his city within the Kladno area outdoors the capital with intentions of taking his personal life.
Shortly after that, the shooter’s father was discovered lifeless.
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Police evacuated a College of Arts constructing the place the shooter was as a result of attend a lecture, however then have been referred to as to the college’s bigger principal constructing, arriving inside minutes after reviews of the taking pictures, Police President Martin Vondrasek stated.
Police had “unconfirmed info from an account on a social community that he was supposedly impressed by one terrorist assault in Russia within the autumn of this 12 months,” Vondrasek advised reporters, including the shooter was a authorized holder of a number of firearms.
“It was a pre-mediated horrific act that began within the Kladno area and sadly ended right here.”
The gunman can also be suspected within the killings of one other man and his two-month-old daughter who have been discovered final week shot lifeless in woods in a village outdoors Prague, Vondrasek stated.
The gunman’s loss of life was possible a suicide however authorities are additionally investigating whether or not he might have been killed by police who returned hearth, Vondrasek added.
Police stated he was a high-achieving pupil with no prior prison report and that he acted alone.
Police requested to not reveal the person’s id however his title reported by some Czech media matched a police search report.
Inside Minister Vit Rakusan stated the taking pictures had no connection to worldwide terrorism.
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‘Shouted at me to run’
Authorities sealed off the sq. and space adjoining to the college constructing, in a busy historic district throughout the river from Prague Fort on a preferred avenue resulting in Outdated City Sq..
Media photos confirmed college students evacuating the constructing with their palms within the air, and others perched on a ledge close to the roof attempting to cover from the attacker whereas college students barricaded lecture rooms with desks and chairs.
“We at all times thought that this was a factor that didn’t concern us. Now it seems that, sadly, our world can also be altering and the issue of the person shooter is rising right here as properly,” Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda advised Czech Tv.
The White Home condemned the taking pictures and stated the US was prepared to supply help. Leaders throughout Europe together with France’s Emmanuel Macron provided their assist.
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Witness Ivo Havranek, 43, advised Reuters through Zoom that he initially thought the “couple of bangs” he heard might need come from loud vacationers or a close-by film set.
“Then immediately there have been college students and academics operating out of the constructing. I went by means of the group not realising what is definitely happening. I wasn’t able to admit that one thing like that would occur in Prague,” he stated. Solely as soon as he noticed cops with computerized rifles, he knew it was critical, he stated.
“They shouted at me to run away.”
Folks lit candles outdoors the historic headquarters of Charles College, central Europe’s oldest arrange in 1348.
Gun crime is comparatively uncommon within the Czech Republic. In December 2019, a 42-year-old gunman killed six individuals at a hospital ready room within the japanese Czech metropolis of Ostrava earlier than fleeing and fatally taking pictures himself, police stated.
In 2015, a person fatally shot eight individuals after which killed himself at a restaurant in Uhersky Brod.