crime
Gunman shoots fifteen people at Prague University
Police vehicles cordon off the area around the Faculty of Arts at Charles University. photo
© Petr David Josek/AP/dpa
Large-scale operation in downtown Prague: Shortly before Christmas, shots were fired at the renowned Charles University. Fifteen people die in the hail of bullets and more than 20 are injured. The shooter is also dead.
A shooter fired at a university in Prague opened fire downtown, killing at least fifteen people. Police Chief Martin Vondrasek said the shooter was also dead. It is assumed that it is a student at the university who had recently murdered his father and was wanted for that reason. However, formal identification is still pending.
The alleged perpetrator was probably inspired by mass shootings abroad. It is believed to be the worst gun attack in the history of the Czech Republic, which has been independent since 1993.
According to initial information, 24 people were injured, at least 9 of them seriously to life-threatening. Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said on public television CT that there was no evidence of a second shooter or of a terrorist background. Rakusan called on the population to follow police instructions.
The shooting occurred at the Philosophical Faculty of Charles University on Jan Palach Square. The police were on site with a large contingent, including special forces. Jan Palach Square is just a few hundred meters away from the famous Charles Bridge, the city’s landmark on the Vltava.
People tried to save themselves
The police called on people to avoid the area and cordoned off the area. Residents should not go out of the house. Photos showed students leaving the university building with their arms raised. According to a report by the TV station Nova, the shooter is said to have been on the roof of the faculty building. An explosion was also heard.
Students and staff at the university said on social media that they had barricaded themselves in lecture halls and offices. Others climbed out the window and stood on the eaves to hide from the gunman. The students and university staff were taken out of the building by early evening. The rescue service sent several ambulances, emergency doctors and a large ambulance to the scene.
Charles University was founded in 1348, making it one of the oldest European universities. It has around 49,500 students. Of these, around 8,000 study subjects such as German, Slavic and history at the Faculty of Humanities.
President and head of government cancel visits
Czech President Petr Pavel expressed his condolences to the families of those killed. He thanked the citizens of the short message service X for following the instructions of the security forces. As the head of state’s office announced, Pavel cut short his current visit to France to return to the Czech Republic early.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala canceled a working visit to Moravia. “Due to the tragic events, I have canceled my work program in Olomouc and will return to Prague,” said the liberal-conservative politician. “I am in contact with the Interior Minister and the Czech police and ask all citizens to heed the recommendations of the emergency services.” The government is scheduled to meet for an emergency meeting late in the evening.
The mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda, was shocked. “This is a tragedy,” he told public television CT. “The worst part is that these things cannot be prevented.” Many people think that something like this could only happen in the USA because many people there are armed. It turns out that this is not the case. At the time of the shooting he was at his residence not far from the university. “The police locked us in and we were not allowed to leave the area,” said Svoboda.
French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that the news of the fatal shots had shocked him deeply. “I express my solidarity with the victims, the injured and their relatives, as well as with the Czech people and the Czech authorities.”