More than 14 killed in mass shooting in downtown Prague
The shooter, now believed to be deceased, opened fire in a university building in the city’s downtown area.
A mass shooting in downtown Prague has seen more than 14 people killed and left at least 25 injured. According to Czech police and the city’s rescue service, the individual responsible for the shooting is also deceased.
Authorities have not provided specific details about the victims, but have said that the incident appears to have no link to international terrorism.
Police say the gunman was a 24-year-old student in the faculty of arts at Charles University, where the shooting took place.
Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda confirmed the evacuation of the philosophy department, and the police department sealed off the area and advised people to leave the surrounding streets and stay indoors while the incident unfolded.
Images shared on social media said to depict the shooter show a man in black perched on a balcony and holding a rifle with a scope. One student shared an image of the door of his classroom barricaded to keep the shooter out.
Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan assured the public that no additional assailant was present at the scene and urged cooperation with the ongoing police investigation.
The square remains cordoned off, and the police have advised citizens to follow safety measures.
Prague’s rescue service confirmed a total of 14 casualties, including the shooter, with around 25 others sustaining various injuries, including nine individuals in critical condition.
Pavel Nedoma, the director of the Rudolfinum Gallery also situated in the square, reported witnessing the assailant firing shots from a window towards the nearby Manes bridge spanning the Vltava River.
In response to the incident, Prime Minister Petr Fiala promptly cancelled his scheduled events and is en route to Prague, expressing his commitment to addressing the aftermath of this regrettable occurrence.
Central Bohemian police officers have announced a search for a young man in connection with the violent death of another man in the region, according to information from Czech news agency, ČTK.
They haven’t ruled out that this may have a connection with today’s shooting in Prague.
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