Authorities said on Thursday that the gunman involved in the mass shooting at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic is dead, after killing fourteen people and injuring dozens more.
According to police, notification was received shortly after noon local time that a 24-year-old man was on his way to Prague, saying that he wanted to take his own life. The first call about the shooting at the university came in at 2:59 p.m. local time, with responding to the scene within minutes, according to Police President Martin Vondrášek, who aded that the shooter’s body was found around 3:20 p.m. local time.
Vondrášek said that of the approximately 25 people injured, ten were in serious condition, with Prague Emergency Services sharing that at least eight were “moderately seriously injured.” Five others were “slightly” injured, according to the agency, noting that the number of victims may change. The identities of the victims and shooter have not been released.
Vondrášek said at the press conference: “From the checks so far, it follows that (the suspect) is a blank slate for us. We also found out from that check that he is a legal holder of several firearms.” Vondrášek could not confirm reports that the shooter was also armed with explosives, but said the gunman was capable of even more bloodshed: “Right now I can’t confirm the presence of explosives, but there was a large quantity of munitions and if the police hadn’t entered the building in time, the perpetrator wouldn’t have been dead at (3:20) and there would be a lot more victims.”
A motive for the shooting Thursday at Charles University in Prague remains unclear; however, it is believed that the suspect was a student at the school who traveled there from the town of Hostouň, according to authorities, with police sharing that evidence indicates that the shooter killed himself.
Charles University, one of the oldest universities in Europe, posted on its website: “We mourn the loss of life of members of our university community, express our deepest condolences to all the bereaved and our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragedy. We now ask everyone to try to remain calm and composed, and we again extend our condolences to all those whose hearts have been broken by the loss of loved ones.”
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a post on X: “Due to the tragic events at the Faculty of Philosophy in Prague, I have canceled the work program in Olomouc and am going back to Prague. I am in contact with the Minister of the Interior and the PČR. I ask all citizens to respect the recommendations of the IZS components.”
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