Authorities in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, report that a shooting at Charles University on Thursday resulted in fifteen fatalities and about twenty injuries.
At a press conference, the police revealed that the deceased suspect in the mass murder was a university student and that his father had also been discovered deceased.
Although the suspect’s identity is unknown to the public, authorities stated that there is currently no proof linking the shooting to any terrorist group. After searching the area for explosives, police have concluded their investigation without suffering any injuries to themselves.
According to the New York Times, Bohuslav Svoboda, the governor of the Prague region, stated that the gunman passed away after falling from a building’s roof.
“We’ve always believed that this is not a problem for us. As Svoboda told the public broadcaster Czech Television, “it turns out that, unfortunately, our world is also changing and the problem of the individual shooter is emerging here as well,” according to a Reuters report.
There are “11 dead including the attacker, 9 seriously injured, 5–6 moderately seriously injured, [and] up to 10 slightly injured,” according to a previous post on X from Prague’s rescue agency.
The shooting’s circumstances were not immediately apparent. Videos that are making the rounds on X seem to show students trying to hide on a building’s balcony from the gunfire.
The gunman was inside one of Charles University’s buildings, according to an email sent to faculty, staff, and students, as reported by Reuters.
“Don’t go anywhere, if you’re in the offices, lock them and place furniture in front of the door, turn off the lights,” the message allegedly stated.
“It was terribly scary, there were a lot of policemen everywhere, who were shouting at us with submachine guns, telling us to run outside,” a student who was part of the police evacuation from the Charles University building where the shooting occurred told the news website iDnes.cz, according to media reports.
Vit Rakusan, the minister of interior for the Czech Republic, asked people to assist the police despite stating that there was only one shooter at the scene.
The director of the neighboring Rudolfinum Gallery, Pavel Nedoma, reported on Czech public television that he observed someone firing a gun toward the nearby Manes bridge over the Vltava River from a window.Whit
“We are aware of the horrific shooting that took place at Charles University in Prague, taking at least 15 lives and injuring dozens more,” stated Karine Jean-Pierre, press secretary for the White House. On behalf of the United States, the president and first lady are offering prayers to the families who have lost loved ones as well as to everyone else impacted by this senseless act of violence.
Jean-Pierre continued, “We offer our condolences and also wish the survivors of this tragic event a speedy recovery,” during the White House press briefing on Thursday. “As they look into this incident, federal authorities are in contact with Czech authorities. And we’re prepared to offer more assistance if required.”
Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the US State Department, stated that the country “is deeply saddened by the tragic mass shooting at Charles University in Prague.”
“During this trying time, we extend our condolences to the victims, their families, and the Czech people. We’re ready to help and we stand united,” he declared.
According to Reuters, there is a low rate of gun crime in the Czech Republic. However, in December 2019, a 42-year-old gunman in Ostrava killed six people in a hospital waiting room, and in 2015, a gunman in Uhersky Brod killed eight people at a restaurant.
