Czech authorities are currently investigating the motive behind a tragic gun attack that resulted in the death of 13 people at a Prague university. The incident, which took place at the Charles University's Faculty of Arts, has left the city in mourning as tearful mourners gather to pay their respects to the victims.
The shooting, which occurred on Thursday, caused panic among students as they desperately tried to escape the attack. This incident marks the Czech Republic's deadliest shooting in decades.
A makeshift memorial of hundreds of candles has been set up outside the university, serving as a poignant reminder of the lives lost. Meanwhile, the police continue their investigation on the campus located in Prague's historic center.
The gunman, identified as a 24-year-old student, took his own life after killing 13 people and injuring 25 others. Interior Minister Vit Rakusan confirmed the identities of all 14 individuals who lost their lives, clarifying that 13 were victims of the gunman, with the remaining one being the gunman himself.
A spokesperson from the State Department informed CBS News that, as of now, there are no reports of any U.S. citizens being injured or killed in the attack.
Rakusan also revealed that three of the wounded individuals were foreigners.
All the victims were killed inside the building and at least some were the gunman's fellow students, authorities said.
Rakusan had said earlier that there was no link between the shooting and "international terrorism" and that the student acted on his own.
Although police said there was no longer any imminent threat, they were still guarding selected sites including schools on Friday as a preventive measure and "a signal we are here."
The government has declared a national day of mourning on Saturday, with flags on official buildings to be flown at half-staff and people asked to observe a minute's silence at noon.
The gunman, previously unknown to police, had a "huge arsenal of weapons and ammunition," Police Chief Martin Vondrasek said after the killings on Thursday.
Police had started a search for the student even before the mass shooting, after his father was found dead in the village of Hostoun, west of Prague.
The gunman "left for Prague saying he wanted to kill himself," Vondrasek said, declining to confirm whether the gunman had killed his father.
Police had started the search at a Faculty of Arts building where the gunman was expected to show up for a lecture, but he went instead to the faculty's main building nearby.
Deadly Shooting in Prague
After a rapid response unit was dispatched by the police, a gunman was found dead 20 minutes later.
According to an investigation into the student's social media activities, it was revealed that the gunman was inspired by a similar case in Russia. Further details were not provided.
The police believe that the same gunman was responsible for the murder of a young man and his two-month-old daughter during a walk in a forest on the outskirts of Prague on December 15. The investigation into these murders had been stalled until evidence found in Hostoun linked the gunman to the crime.
This shooting at Charles University, located near popular tourist sites like the Charles Bridge, is the deadliest incident since the Czech Republic gained independence in 1993.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala condemned the act, stating, "There is no justification for this horrendous act."
President Biden expressed his condolences and criticized the shooting as "senseless."
International Support
President Biden offered his support to the Czech people, stating, "My heart is with those who lost their lives in today's senseless shooting in Prague, those injured, and the Czech people." He also mentioned that US authorities are in contact with Czech law enforcement and are ready to provide additional support if needed.
French President Emmanuel Macron, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also extended their condolences.
Gun violence is not a common occurrence in the Czech Republic, but there have been a few incidents in recent years.
In 2015, a tragic incident took place in the town of Uhersky Brod. A 63-year-old man entered a restaurant and fatally shot seven men and a woman before taking his own life.
Another shocking incident occurred in 2019 in the city of Ostrava. A man entered a hospital waiting room and killed six people. Sadly, another woman passed away a few days later. The perpetrator ended his own life approximately three hours after the attack.
