Prague: At Least 15 People Die In A Mass Shooting At A Prague University

PRAGUE, Czech Republic — A lone gunman opened fire in a university building in downtown Prague on Thursday, killing at least 15 people and wounding more than 20, according to police and the city’s rescue service.

According to Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek, the shooting occurred in the philosophy department building of Charles University, where the shooter was a student. According to officials, the suspected gunman also perished. His identity has not been revealed.

According to Vondrasek, 24 people were hurt, and police warned that the death toll might climb.

Police provided no information on the victims or a probable motive for the shooting at the Jan Palach Square building near the Vltava River. Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan stated that investigators have found no evidence of a link to any extremist ideology or groups.

At Least 15 People Die In A Mass Shooting At A Prague University

Vondrasek stated that police believe the suspect killed his father earlier in the day in his village of Hostoun, just west of Prague, and that he was also preparing to kill himself. He didn’t go into further detail.

The chief described the suspect as an exceptional student but gave no additional details.

The suspect sustained “devastating injuries,” but it was unclear whether he killed himself or was killed in an exchange of gunfire with officers, according to Vondrasek, who added that “nothing suggests that he had an accomplice.”

The suspect lawfully held numerous firearms, and what he did was “well thought out, a horrible act,” according to Vondrasek.

The shooting location is beside the Vltava River in Jan Palach Square, a popular tourist destination in Prague’s Old Town. It is a short walk from the scenic Old Town Square, a renowned tourist attraction where hundreds of visitors have been enjoying a famous Christmas market.

At Least 15 People Die In A Mass Shooting At A Prague University

The administration moved immediately to allay fears that foreign interests were funding the killing.

“There’s no indication that it has anything to do with international terrorism,” Rakusan said.

“It’s a horrible crime, something the Czech Republic has never experienced,” he went on to say.

The director of the adjoining Rudolfinum Gallery, Pavel Nedoma, said he witnessed from a window as a person standing on the building’s balcony shot a gun.

Authorities evacuated everyone from the building, and police said they were still searching for explosives in the area, including the balcony.

The structure is part of the square and overlooks a bridge across the river with a view of Prague Castle, the Czech presidency’s residence. President Petr Pavel said he was “shocked” by what transpired and sent condolences to the victims’ families.

At Least 15 People Die In A Mass Shooting At A Prague University

Chaos and panic seized hold where tourists, students, and others would ordinarily enjoy the iconic monument’s vista. Police cars and ambulances hurried across the bridge, sirens blaring. Officers surrounded the vacant square.

Some camera footage showed people being evacuated from the building and others attempting to conceal themselves behind a wall.

The Czech government planned to hold an emergency meeting later Thursday to discuss the shooting.

SOURCE – (AP)