At least 15 people were killed and the attacker was killed in a shooting at a building at Charles University in Prague.
The bloody incident took place in traditionally calm Prague. As a result of the shooting in one of the buildings of Charles University, 15 people were killed, the attacker was killed. 24 people were injured. At least nine people were seriously injured, five were moderately injured and up to 10 were slightly injured, emergency services said.
Details of the attack
The incident took place on the territory of the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University, located on Jan Palach Square in Prague. Charles University is the main higher education institution in the Czech Republic. It was founded by the King of Bohemia, Charles IV of Luxembourg, in 1348. More than 50 thousand students study at the university.
Police confirmed that the attacker was a university student and that his body was found near the school. The shooter is 24 years old and lives in a town located 21 km from Prague.
The exact motive for the attack is still unknown, but police do not consider it related to international terrorism. He suggests that the shooter was influenced by similar shooting incidents in other countries around the world.
The mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda, told Czech television that the shooter “jumped somewhere and died.” As this media writes, it is still unclear what exactly happened to him.
The director of the Rudolfinum gallery, which also overlooks Palach Square, told Czech Television that he saw the attacker with his own eyes.
“I saw a young man with some kind of weapon in his hands, like an automatic weapon, and he shot towards the Manesov Bridge,” said Peter Nedoma. “He shot often, with a short rest, and then he raised his hands and threw the weapon into the street, and it was lying there in the crosswalk.”
Rcaustic for the Czech Republic
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that in light of the “tragic events” he had canceled all planned events with his participation.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also wrote on social network X that she was “shocked by this senseless violence,” adding that she mourns with the entire Czech people.
Crimes involving firearms occur infrequently in the Czech Republic. The current attack is the bloodiest event in the entire 30-year history of the modern Czech Republic.
In 2019, a 42-year-old man shot and killed six people in the emergency department of a hospital in the city of Ostrava, after which he fled the scene and later committed suicide.
In 2015, a man opened fire in a restaurant, injuring 8 people, after which he also shot himself.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.