Crime - Czech Republic in a state of shock after the bloodbath at Prague university
TheCzech Republic is in a state of mourning following the bloodbath at Charles University in Prague shortly before Christmas. "It's a shock - none of us would have expected something like this to happen," said a hospital spokeswoman on behalf of many.
The government declared a day of national mourning for this Saturday. Flags are to fly at half-mast and the fairy lights on the Christmas tree in Prague's Old Town Square are to be extinguished. A funeral service is also planned in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.
A student opened fire in the main building of the Faculty of Philosophy in Prague's city center on Thursday afternoon, killing 14 people. The shooter is also dead, said the head of the Prague police, Petr Matejcek, on Friday - the young man probably shot himself. All the victims have now been identified. No foreigners were among the dead. Two citizens from the United Arab Emirates and a Dutchman were among the injured, it said.
Also responsible for double murder of father and child?
People laid flowers and lit candles in front of the university building. According to the latest information, 25 people were injured, ten of them seriously. Some were shot through the head, chest or extremities and had to be operated on immediately. All were in a stabilized condition. It was still unclear what the shooter's motive might have been. Before the bloody deed, the 24-year-old is said to have murdered his father in his house in the municipality of Hostoun, west of Prague.
Investigators expressed a grave suspicion: the 24-year-old is also believed to have been responsible for a shocking double murder a week ago. A father and his infant daughter were shot dead, apparently for no reason, in a wooded area on the outskirts of Prague. The case caused horror in the Czech Republic. Investigators later announced that a ballistic examination of one of the firearms found in the house of the university shooter had confirmed their suspicions.
Eyewitness: "Suddenly a strange bang"
Eyewitnesses to the university attack reported dramatic scenes. "We were in class and suddenly we heard a strange bang," a survivor in hospital told the radio station. Then suddenly someone shot through the door. At first, the students barricaded the entrance with benches. When the shooter came back, they climbed out of the window, balanced over the roof ledge and jumped onto a balcony below to save themselves. Police videos showed a chaotic situation and people in panic.
There were still no indications of a terrorist background to the university attack. Nevertheless, Interior Minister Vit Rakusan announced a tightening of security measures in the country for preventative reasons. These include a stronger presence of police officers with submachine guns at selected locations. Rakusan said on the radio that the shooter possessed his weapons legally and had no criminal record.
More and more armed people in the country
More and more people in the Czech Republic are arming themselves. Last year, 314,039 citizens had a gun license. The number of legally registered firearms rose by more than 53,000 to almost one million, 989,348 to be precise. The right to defend one's own life or that of another person with armed force was even included two years ago in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, which has constitutional status.
Thousands donate for victims and bereaved families
In response to the gun attack, Charles University set up a fundraising campaign for the injured and the relatives of the dead. By midday on Friday, more than 13,000 people had already taken part, as can be seen on the university's endowment fund website. The sum donated by then amounted to the equivalent of more than 550,000 euros.
Numerous heads of state and government as well as other leading politicians from Germany and abroad expressed their condolences. "I was shocked to hear the news of the shooting at Charles University in the heart of Prague," said Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. His thoughts are with the victims and their families. US President Joe Biden wrote on X that his heart goes out to those who lost their lives in the senseless gun attack in Prague, to the injured and to the Czech people.
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- The double murder of a father and his child in the United Arab Emirates a week prior to the university incident is now being investigated as potentially linked to the shooter.
- Despite the tragic incident at Karls University in Prague, no foreign students were among the fatalities.
- Vit Rakusan, the Interior Minister of the Czech Republic, has announced tightened security measures, including a stronger presence of police officers with submachine guns at selected locations, in response to the university shooting.
- Florence Dubois, a student from Paris, was among those injured during the shooting at Charles University in Prague, adding to the shock and mourning felt throughout the Czech Republic.
- The police in the Czech Republic are now scrutinizing the background of Vit Rakusan, the shooter, to establish a motive for his actions, including the double murder in Hostoun and the university attack in Prague.
- The Czech Republic, currently in a state of shock, will face further concern as gun possession and ownership rise, with 314,039 citizens having gun licenses and more than 989,000 legally registered firearms.
- Following the university attack, the police have seized several weapons from the shooter, fueling debates about the legality of gun ownership in the Czech Republic and its potential impact on criminality.
Source: www.stern.de
