Czech Republic commemorates victims with national mourning
Hundreds of candles and flags at half-mast: the Czech Republic is in national mourning after the killing spree at Charles University. With a minute's silence, the country wants to remember the 14 people who lost their lives in the horrific act. The perpetrator's motive is still unclear.
Following the gun attack at Charles University in Prague, the Czech Republic has commemorated the 14 victims with a minute's silence. At the beginning of the one-day national mourning, the flags on government buildings were lowered to half-mast and a minute's silence was planned for midday in memory of the victims. Churches throughout the country were to ring their bells at the same time. Meanwhile, the search for the perpetrator's motive continued.
A 24-year-old student from Charles University shot 13 people in a university building near the famous Charles Bridge in the Old Town on Thursday afternoon and then killed himself. One of the injured died later in hospital. The bloody deed caused horror beyond the country's borders.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala visited an impromptu memorial site in front of the university on Friday, where students and other mourners had placed hundreds of candles. Fiala said it was difficult to find the right words to condemn the act and at the same time "express the pain and grief that our whole country is feeling in these days before Christmas".
On Friday, the police confirmed that the 24-year-old shooter had committed suicide after the crime. Interior Minister Vit Rakusan had already stated on Thursday that there were no indications of a connection to international terrorism. The shooter was therefore a lone offender. He was not known to the police but, according to the investigators, had a "huge arsenal of weapons and ammunition".
Connection with other deaths
The shooter is also linked to the death of his father, whose body was discovered shortly before the gun attack at the university in Hostoun, west of Prague. There are also indications that he could be responsible for the mysterious murder of a young man and his two-month-old daughter. The crime was committed on December 15 in a forest in a Prague suburb.
Since the crime, Czech police have arrested four people for either threatening or encouraging a copycat attack. Until at least New Year's Day, the police will be stepping up security at several locations, including several schools, as police chief Martin Vondrasek announced.
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The horrific rampage at Charles University in Prague, resulting in 14 deaths and numerous injuries, has prompted the Czech Republic to commemorate the victims internationally. The country announced one-day national mourning, with flags at half-mast, a minute's silence, and church bells ringing in unison as a tribute. The shooter, a local student with a substantial weapons cache, reportedly also linked to previous deaths, sparking concerns and heightened security measures across several locations.
Source: www.ntv.de
