State mourning after gun attack at Charles University in Prague
A 24-year-old student at 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".
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 shocking incident prompted a national mourning in the Czech Republic, with Prime Minister Petr Fiala expressing his condolences to the affected students at Karls University in Prague.
- During the firearm attack at Charles University, a 24-year-old student shot 13 people, resulting in one fatality, and later took his own life.
- Czech authorities, including the police, are investigating a possible connection between the gun attack at Charles University and the death of the student's father in Hostoun semi-rural area, west of Prague.
- As a result of the tragedy, the Czech police have boosted security measures at several locations, including schools, in light of threats and encouragement for copycat attacks reported by four individuals.
- Hundreds of candles were placed at an impromptu memorial site by students and mourners outside Prager's Karls University, where the 24-year-old responsible for the firearm attack had studied.
- The shooting at Charles University has sparked an outpouring of grief and sympathy beyond Czech borders, with many expressing shock and horror at the senseless act of violence.
Source: www.stern.de
