PRAGUE – Foreign nationals have been among a minimum of 14 killed after a pupil opened fire at a college in Prague, government stated Friday. More than 20 others have been additionally wounded in one of the most Czech Republic’s worst mass shootings.
The bloodshed came about on Thursday in the philosophy division construction of Charles University, the place the shooter was once a pupil, Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek stated. The gunman additionally died, government stated. His title has no longer been launched.
Vondrasek stated in the night time that 14 folks had died and 25 have been wounded, after previous reporting that 15 had died and 24 have been harm. He didn’t provide an explanation for the trade. Authorities warned that the loss of life toll may upward push.
Police gave no information about the sufferers or a conceivable reason for the taking pictures on the construction situated close to the Vltava River in Jan Palach Square. Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan stated investigators don’t suspect a link to any extremist ideology or teams.
Vondrasek stated police imagine the gunman killed his father previous Thursday in his homeland of Hostoun, simply west of Prague, and that he had additionally been making plans to kill himself. He didn’t elaborate.
Later Thursday, Vondrasek stated that in accordance with a seek of his house, the gunman was once additionally suspected in the killing of some other guy and his 2-month-old daughter Dec. 15, in Prague.
The leader described the shooter as a very good pupil without a felony file, however didn’t supply another information.
The gunman suffered (*14*) nevertheless it wasn’t transparent if he killed himself or was once shot to loss of life in an alternate of gunfire with officials, Vondrasek stated, including that there was once “nothing to suggest that he had an accomplice.”
The shooter legally owned a number of weapons — police stated he was once closely armed Thursday and was once wearing a lot of ammunition — and that what he did was once “well thought out, a horrible act,” Vondrasek stated.
University government stated they might tighten safety in college structures with quick impact.
“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,” Charles University stated in a remark.
The construction the place the taking pictures came about is in Jan Palach Square, a busy vacationer house in Prague’s Old Town. It is simply a couple of minutes’ stroll from the picturesque Old Town Square, a main vacationer enchantment the place a fashionable Christmas marketplace draws 1000’s of tourists.
The govt temporarily sought to quell considerations that the bloodbath was once again through international pursuits.
“There’s no indication that it has anything to do with international terrorism,” Rakusan stated.
“It’s a horrible crime, something the Czech Republic has never experienced,” he stated.
Pavel Nedoma, the director of the within sight Rudolfinum Gallery, stated he watched from a window as a individual status on a balcony of the construction fired a gun.
Authorities evacuated everybody from the construction and police stated they have been nonetheless looking out the world, together with the balcony, for explosives.
The construction paperwork a part of the sq. and faces a bridge around the river with a view of Prague Castle, the seat of the Czech presidency. President Petr Pavel stated he was once “shocked” through what took place and presented his condolences to the kinfolk of the sufferers, as did leaders of Germany, France and Slovakia, the European Union and Israel.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre despatched a message of condolence.
“The president and the first lady are praying for the families who lost loved ones and everyone else who has been affected by this senseless act of violence,” Jean-Pierre stated. “On behalf of the United States, we send our condolences and also wish the survivors of this tragic event a speedy recovery.”
The Czech govt declared Saturday a nationwide day of mourning to honor the taking pictures sufferers, Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated.
Previously, the country’s worst mass taking pictures was once in 2015, when a gunman opened fire in the southeastern the city of Uhersky Brod, killing 8 ahead of fatally taking pictures himself.
On Thursday, the place vacationers, scholars and others would usually be playing the view of the long-lasting monument, chaos and terror as an alternative took cling. Police automobiles and ambulances sped around the bridge with their sirens wailing. Officers sealed off the empty sq..
Some video pictures confirmed folks being evacuated from the construction and others looking to disguise in the back of a wall.
Ivo Havranek, a diving teacher, stated he was once close to the construction when he heard a shot ring out, however he didn’t relatively imagine that was once what he had heard.
“Only at the moment when I saw the fully equipped riot police with bulletproof vests and shields, it looked to me that I had found myself in a movie,” Havranek stated. “But it was obvious that nobody was shooting a movie.”
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Associated Press video journalist Stanislav Hodina in Prague and author Zeke Miller in (*20*), D.C., contributed.