A gunman opened fire at a university in Prague and killed at least 14 people and injured more than 25 on Thursday night.
Prague: At least 14 people were killed and 25 sustained injuries in a horrifying mass shooting incident at a University in Prague on Thursday night (local time). According to Czech Police, the accused who opened fire was neutralised but did not reveal the identity of the shooter. “The shooter has been eliminated. The entire building is currently being evacuated and there are several dead and dozens of injured,” Czech Police said.
“We have already evacuated the entire building and a pyrotechnic inspection is currently underway,” the police said.
The shooting happened at the Charles University’s Faculty of Arts, which is located near major tourist sites such as the 14th-century Charles Bridge.
As per Reuters report, the accused was a 24-year-old Czech student who shot dead his father and then opened fire at other people. The Czech Government has declared a day of mourning across the central European country for Saturday in the memory of those who lost their live in the mass shooting. The decision was taken at a at a special cabinet meeting with President Petr Pavel.
The police evacuated the building and stated that students locked themselves inside the classroom after hearing the gunshots on the campus. The department also took to X (formerly Twitter) to share updates on the evacuation.
“We urge citizens not to stay in the immediate vicinity and not to leave the house. The police intervention is still ongoing,” the police said.
Acting promptly, police cordoned off the area in downtown Prague and urged residents to leave the surrounding streets and stay indoors.
“Based on initial information, we can confirm there are dead and injured people at the site,” the cops informed initially.
Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan informed that the accused who opened fire was dead, stating that there was no other gunman and there was no further imminent danger. He requested locals residents to cooperate with the authorities to investigate the incident.