PRAGUE — The Czech authorities has declared December 23 a nationwide day of mourning for 14 folks killed by a 24-year-old scholar who reportedly posted disturbing messages on-line earlier than the assault and might need been impressed by a college capturing in Russia two weeks in the past.
The capturing at Charles College in central Prague additionally wounded 25 folks, together with 10 significantly. It was the nation’s worst mass capturing and one of many worst on file in Europe.
“The Czech Republic has by no means skilled such an act,” Czech Inside Minister Vit Rakusan stated shortly after the capturing on December 21, including that there was no indication that the capturing had any reference to worldwide terrorism.
Police chief Martin Vondrasek stated shooter, who has not been formally recognized, most probably died by suicide. It was not clear whether or not his loss of life was included within the loss of life toll of 14.
“I used to be on the scene of a horrific crime a second in the past, I noticed an enormous arsenal of weapons and ammunition within the school constructing,” the police chief stated. “If it weren’t for the short intervention of the police, there would have been many instances extra victims.”
Vondrasek stated police imagine the shooter killed his father in his hometown of Hostoun west of Prague earlier within the day, and that he had additionally been planning to kill himself.
He added that police are investigating whether or not the shooter, a authorized gun proprietor, is similar assailant who killed a 32-year-old man and his 2-month-old daughter on December 15 in a park in Prague.
Czech media reported that earlier than the capturing on the college the shooter posted messages on Telegram citing a college capturing within the Russian metropolis of Bryansk on December 7 by which a 14-year-old Russian lady opened fireplace with a shotgun on her classmates, killing a 13-year-old lady and wounding a number of others earlier than turning the gun on herself and committing suicide.
The experiences say that police at the moment are trying into his social media posts, together with one other one by which he stated he hated the world and wished to depart as a lot ache in it as doable.
“Everybody simply hated me, hates me and can hate me. I do not care as a result of it is mutual,” he stated in a put up on Telegram, in accordance with Czech media.
Mass shootings are uncommon in Europe, however there have been at the very least three others this 12 months. A gunman in March within the German metropolis of Hamburg shot lifeless six folks and wounded eight earlier than killing himself.
The opposite two befell in Serbia in a single week in Could. A 13-year-old boy gunned down eight fellow college students and a safety guard in a Belgrade faculty. Two days later, a gunman killed eight folks and wounded 14 others in a village close to the Serbian capital.
Reactions to the Prague capturing got here from different European capitals and from the top of RFE/RL, whose headquarters is in Prague about 6 kilometers from Charles College.
“RFE/RL joins with our neighborhood in Prague in expressing solidarity with all affected by at present’s stunning occasions at Charles College,” appearing President Jeffrey Gedmin stated in a press release.
Czech President Petr Pavel stated he was “shocked” by what occurred and supplied his condolences to the kinfolk of the victims, as did leaders of Germany, France, Slovakia, the European Union, and Israel.
The White Home stated the USA is able to help the Czech Republic as wanted.
“Federal authorities are in contact with Czech authorities as they examine this incident, and we stand prepared to offer further help as wanted,” White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy additionally reacted with shock and unhappiness.
“I specific my honest condolences to the households of the victims and want the injured a speedy restoration, he stated on X, previously Twitter.
The capturing befell within the philosophy division constructing of Charles College’s School of Arts positioned on Jan Palach Sq., inflicting panic all through the middle of Prague.
A photograph that circulated on social media confirmed a gaggle of eight college students who climbed via home windows to cover on a ledge of the constructing about 5 tales up.
A trainer on the college, Sergei Medvedev, confirmed to RFE/RL that academics and college students obtained e-mail messages instructing them to remain barricaded of their school rooms and switch off lights to guard themselves from the shooter, who was contained in the constructing on the time.
Medvedev stated he was lecturing when he and his college students started listening to folks shouting and sirens. Once they seemed out the window and noticed streets cordoned off and the bridge empty, they barricaded themselves within the classroom till particular forces arrived.
All the scholars who have been with him received out safely, he stated, however on their approach out they noticed a “horrible” scene that included blood within the stairway and stretchers that appeared to have our bodies on them.
“We didn’t know what was occurring…and the way it was going to finish,” scholar Liza Chukharova advised Present Time, describing how she and fellow college students barricaded themselves of their classroom for 40 minutes till particular forces got here and advised them to stroll out with their palms raised.
“There was an excessive amount of blood all over the place and stretchers round,” she stated, including that emergency employees have been available to offer psychological help to those that wanted it together with tea and metallic covers to heat themselves.
“They’re saying that the whole lot goes to be all proper,” she stated.
With reporting by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, Present Time, Dnes, and Reflex
