Prague: 15 useless after taking pictures at college – shooter apparently scholar | EUROtoday

As of 8:42 p.m | Reading time: 4 minutes

Bn the worst gun assault within the Czech Republic in many years, a 24-year-old killed not less than 15 folks and injured scores extra at Charles University in Prague. The perpetrator was discovered useless. Interior Minister Vit Rakusan mentioned on Thursday that there was no proof of a connection to worldwide terrorism. According to police, the person was wished in Prague earlier than the taking pictures as a result of his father was discovered useless.

“More than 15 people lost their lives and at least 24 were injured,” police chief Martin Vondrasek instructed journalists within the night. A lot of “ambulance units” had been despatched to the crime scene, defined the Prague emergency service at X. There had been additionally a number of severely injured folks. At least 9 persons are mentioned to have suffered critical or life-threatening accidents.

It is assumed that it’s a scholar on the college who had not too long ago murdered his father and was wished for that purpose. However, formal identification remains to be pending. The alleged perpetrator was in all probability impressed by mass shootings overseas.

The assault occurred on the Philosophical Faculty of Charles University on Jan Palach Square. Humanities are taught there. Jan Palach Square is situated only a few hundred meters from the well-known Charles Bridge, town’s landmark on the Vltava. The school was initially evacuated.

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According to Police Chief Vondrasek, officers started looking for the 24-year-old earlier than the assault after the person’s father was discovered useless within the city of Hostoun, west of Prague. The shooter made his strategy to the Czech capital and mentioned he wished to kill himself, Vondrasek continued. Officials had beforehand suspected that the shooter had killed his father.

The police searched the primary constructing of the Faculty of Arts, the place the shooter was anticipated to attend a lecture. However, he went to a different school constructing close by and was not present in time. The first details about pictures was acquired round 3 p.m. and the speedy response pressure was on website inside twelve minutes.

Shortly afterwards there was details about the shooter’s immobile physique. According to unconfirmed info, he killed himself. Police chief Vondrasek mentioned, referring to an investigation into on-line networks, that the perpetrator was impressed by a “similar case” in Russia this fall. The official didn’t present any additional info. There are at the moment no indications of any additional impending hazard.

According to Vondrasek, the identification of the useless was nonetheless pending on Thursday night as a result of pyrotechnicians had been working within the constructing. According to him, no officers had been injured in the course of the operation. Police evacuated the constructing and used a live performance corridor throughout the road as a brief shelter for the evacuees.

Shortly after the assault, officers known as on folks to keep away from the world. Residents mustn’t exit of the home. Photos confirmed college students leaving the college constructing with their arms raised. The director of the Rudolfinum artwork gallery on Palach Square, Pavel Nedoma, mentioned on tv that he noticed somebody taking pictures from the window within the course of the Manés Bridge, which crosses the Vltava.

President Pavel expresses his condolences to relations

Czech President Petr Pavel expressed his condolences to the households of these killed. He thanked the residents of the brief message service X for following the directions of the safety forces. As the pinnacle of state’s workplace introduced, Pavel is canceling his present go to to France and returning to the Czech Republic early. Prime Minister Petr Fiala canceled deliberate appointments and headed to Prague.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen additionally reacted to the information. “I am shocked by the senseless violence that claimed several lives in Prague today,” she mentioned on X and expressed her condolences. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) wrote of “shocking news”. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) wrote on X: “The attack in the middle of Prague hits Europe in the heart. We are in mourning.”

There was initially no additional details about the suspected shooter or a potential motive. Students and employees on the college mentioned on social media that they’d barricaded themselves in lecture halls and places of work. People ought to now be introduced out of the constructing one after the other. The rescue service despatched a number of ambulances, emergency docs and a big ambulance to the scene.

Charles University was based in 1348, making it one of many oldest European universities. It has a complete of round 49,500 college students. Of these, round 8,000 research on the Faculty of Philosophy, the place topics comparable to German, Slavic and historic research are taught.

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