At least 14 killed in school shooting in downtown Prague, suspect’s father also found dead
A student opened fire inside a university in the heart of Czech Republic’s capital city on Thursday, killing at least 14 people and wounding 25 more in the worst mass shooting in the country’s history.
Authorities responded to the philosophy department building at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in downtown Prague, located near the Vltava River in Jan Palach Square. Police arrived to the campus around 3 p.m. local time, before announcing a short time later that the gunman had been “eliminated.”
The shooting suspect has not yet been identified, but was described as having been an exemplary student at Charles University.
Police chief Martin Vondrasek told reporters the gunman “left for Prague saying he wanted to kill himself,” adding that he was heavily armed during the assault, carrying multiple legally owned weapons and a lot of ammunition.
The shooter’s father was also found dead earlier in the day at their home in Hostouň, about 80 miles west of Prague. Police believe his son killed him as well.
Following a search of the Hostouň residence, cops determined the suspect likely killed another man and the man’s 2-month-old daughter on Dec. 15 in east Prague, according to Vondrasek. Any connection between those victims and the suspect was not immediately made clear.
What exactly prompted the deadly violence also remained unclear in the immediate aftermath, but Interior Minister Vit Rakusan told reporters “there is no indication that this crime has any link to international terrorism.”
In an email sent to staff and students, obtained by the Independent, the university said a shooter was in one of its buildings and told everyone to “stay put.”
Unconfirmed images shared online showed chairs and furniture being used to barricade doors inside a building on campus, while video captured people seemingly fleeing from the gunfire. Police said everyone inside has since been evacuated.
Prague mayor Bohuslav Svoboda told local broadcasters the classroom carnage is a sign “that our world is also changing.”
“We know very well that for a number of years we have been hearing from the United States that there has been an excess of some shooter shooting in a school or on the street,” Svoboda said. “We have always thought that this is a matter that does not concern Europe and us, that this is a matter that is also a given in the United States due to the fact that everyone there is armed.”
He added that the Czech Republic now also “unfortunately” has “the problem of the individual shooter whose reasons for what he does are not entirely clear.”
President Petr Pavel echoed the sentiment, saying he was “shocked” by what happened before offering his condolences to the victims’ loved ones.
At this time, police do not believe any other suspects were involved in the shooting, the interior minister said, but asked witnesses and those with potential information in the case to come forward.
The police department said all of Jan Palach Square has been sealed off and urged people to leave the surrounding streets and remain indoors. While authorities emphasized there is no longer a threat to the community, officers continued scouring the area for explosives.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala canceled his scheduled events for the day and said he is traveling back to Prague.
With News Wire Services
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
