Crime - Gunman shoots fifteen people at Prague University
A gunman has opened fire at a university in the center of Prague, killing at least fifteen people. The shooter is also dead, police chief Martin Vondrasek announced. It is assumed that he was a student at the university who had murdered his father shortly beforehand and was therefore wanted. However, formal identification is still pending.
The suspected perpetrator was probably inspired by rampages abroad. It is probably the worst gun attack in the history of the Czech Republic, which has been independent since 1993.
According to initial information, 24 people were injured, at least 9 of them seriously or critically. Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said on public television CT that there were no indications of a second shooter or a terrorist background. Rakusan called on the population to follow the instructions of the police.
The shots were fired at the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University on Jan Palach Square. The police were on the scene with a large contingent, including special forces. Jan Palach Square is only a few hundred meters away from the famous Charles Bridge, the symbol of the city on the Vltava River.
People tried to save themselves
The police called on people to avoid the area and cordoned off the square. Residents were told not to leave their homes. Photos showed students leaving the university building with their arms raised. According to a report by the Nova television station, the shooter was last seen on the roof of the faculty building. An explosion was also reportedly heard.
University students and staff posted on social media that they had barricaded themselves in lecture halls and offices. Others climbed out of windows and stood on the eaves to hide from the shooter. The students and university staff were evacuated from the building by early evening. The emergency services sent several ambulances, emergency doctors and a large ambulance to the scene.
Charles University was founded in 1348, making it one of the oldest universities in Europe. It has around 49,500 students. Of these, around 8,000 study subjects such as German, Slavic studies and history at the Faculty of Philosophy.
President and head of government break off visits
Czech President Petr Pavel expressed his condolences to the families of those killed. He thanked the citizens on the short message service X for following the instructions of the security forces. According to the head of state's office, Pavel cut short his current visit to France in order to return to the Czech Republic ahead of schedule.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala canceled a working visit to Moravia. "Due to the tragic events, I have canceled my work program in Olomouc and will return to Prague," the liberal-conservative politician announced. "I am in contact with the Minister of the Interior and the Czech police and ask all citizens to follow the recommendations of the emergency services." The government is due to meet for an emergency meeting later this evening.
The Mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda, expressed his shock. "This is a tragedy," he told public television station CT. "The worst thing about it is that these things cannot be prevented." Many people think that something like this could only happen in the USA because many people there are armed. It turns out that this is not the case. At the time of the shooting, he was in his residence not far from the university. "The police locked us in, we were not allowed to leave the premises," said Svoboda.
French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that he was deeply shocked by the news of the fatal shooting. "I express my solidarity with the victims, the injured and their families, as well as with the Czech people and the Czech authorities."
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Source: www.stern.de
