Gunman kills at least 15 people in Prague university shooting
Dozens of others wounded in attack in the Czech capital, in which police say shooter also died
21 December 2023 - 19:23
byReuters
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A police officer secures the area following the shooting at one of the buildings of Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, December 21 2023. Picture: DAVID W CERNY/REUTERS
Prague — A gunman killed at least 15 people and wounded dozens of others at a Prague university on Thursday before being “eliminated”, according to police and Prague emergency services.
Czech police said shortly after 2pm GMT that they were responding to the shooting at Charles University’s faculty of arts building in Jan Palach Square, before reporting the shooter had been “eliminated”.
More than 15 people were killed in the shooting, the police said, and the shooter’s body has also been found in the area.
Petr Nedoma, director of the Rudolfinum Gallery at a concert hall across Palach Square, told Czech TV he saw the shooter.
“I saw a young person who had some weapon in his hand shooting towards the Manes Bridge. Then I saw him put his hands up and throw the weapon down on the street, it lay there on the pedestrian crossing,” he said.
Police sealed off the square and the area adjacent to the building, located in a busy part of town that has a popular street leading tourists to Old Town Square.
The Czech TV live broadcast showed several ambulances and police cars lined up alongside the building.
One witness told news website iDnes.cz that they got off at the tram stop by the school and “suddenly I heard shooting”.
Klara, a student, told the news website she was among those who police evacuated from the building.
“It was terribly scary, there were a lot of policemen with submachine guns everywhere who were shouting at us, telling us to run outside,” she said.
An email sent to staff and students had said the shooter was in one of the buildings.
“Don’t go anywhere, if you’re in the offices, lock them and place furniture in front of the door, turn off the lights,” the email said.
One X user posted a photo of a group of students hiding crouched on a ledge of the building.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala cancelled his trip to the east of the country and was en route to Prague, he said on X.
Gun crime is relatively rare in the Czech Republic. In December 2019, a 42-year-old gunman killed six people at a hospital waiting room in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava before fleeing and fatally shooting himself, police said.
In 2015, a man fatally shot eight people and then killed himself at a restaurant in Uhersky Brod.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Gunman kills at least 15 people in Prague university shooting
Dozens of others wounded in attack in the Czech capital, in which police say shooter also died
Prague — A gunman killed at least 15 people and wounded dozens of others at a Prague university on Thursday before being “eliminated”, according to police and Prague emergency services.
Czech police said shortly after 2pm GMT that they were responding to the shooting at Charles University’s faculty of arts building in Jan Palach Square, before reporting the shooter had been “eliminated”.
More than 15 people were killed in the shooting, the police said, and the shooter’s body has also been found in the area.
Petr Nedoma, director of the Rudolfinum Gallery at a concert hall across Palach Square, told Czech TV he saw the shooter.
“I saw a young person who had some weapon in his hand shooting towards the Manes Bridge. Then I saw him put his hands up and throw the weapon down on the street, it lay there on the pedestrian crossing,” he said.
Police sealed off the square and the area adjacent to the building, located in a busy part of town that has a popular street leading tourists to Old Town Square.
The Czech TV live broadcast showed several ambulances and police cars lined up alongside the building.
One witness told news website iDnes.cz that they got off at the tram stop by the school and “suddenly I heard shooting”.
Klara, a student, told the news website she was among those who police evacuated from the building.
“It was terribly scary, there were a lot of policemen with submachine guns everywhere who were shouting at us, telling us to run outside,” she said.
An email sent to staff and students had said the shooter was in one of the buildings.
“Don’t go anywhere, if you’re in the offices, lock them and place furniture in front of the door, turn off the lights,” the email said.
One X user posted a photo of a group of students hiding crouched on a ledge of the building.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala cancelled his trip to the east of the country and was en route to Prague, he said on X.
Gun crime is relatively rare in the Czech Republic. In December 2019, a 42-year-old gunman killed six people at a hospital waiting room in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava before fleeing and fatally shooting himself, police said.
In 2015, a man fatally shot eight people and then killed himself at a restaurant in Uhersky Brod.
Reuters
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