PRAGUE — The Czech Republic will observe a nationwide day of mourning on December 23 for the victims of a mass capturing at a college in central Prague that left 14 folks lifeless and 25 others wounded.
Within the Prague metropolis middle, folks started paying their respects to the victims on December 22 by lighting candles exterior Charles College buildings.
Fellow college students, mates of the victims, and others gathered for an impromptu vigil. Some knelt to gentle candles and lay flowers, whereas others cried and hugged one another.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala and U.S. Ambassador Bijan Sabet had been amongst those that paid tribute to the victims.
The college’s rector, Milena Kralickova, was additionally among the many throngs of individuals on the vigil. The tutorial group, she mentioned, had been “shaken, deeply shaken” by the capturing.
Inside Minister Vit Rakusan mentioned all 14 victims of the capturing on December 21 at Charles College’s School of Arts constructing had been recognized. The authorities didn’t launch any names, however the Institute of Music Sciences confirmed that its head, Lenka Hlavkova, was among the many lifeless.
WATCH: Extra particulars are rising of a person who went on a killing spree within the Czech capital, Prague, killing 14 folks and injuring extra. Police say the killer was a 24-year-old scholar, who traveled to Prague after killing his father in a village exterior town.
There have been no foreigners amongst these killed, however one citizen of the Netherlands and two from the United Arab Emirates had been injured.
The nationwide police confirmed that the gunman died by suicide.
Petr Matejcek, the director of the police regional headquarters in Prague, mentioned the gunman killed himself on the balcony of the college constructing as officers closed in. Police haven’t launched the gunman’s identify, however mentioned they imagine he was Czech.
Authorities mentioned he had no legal document, and police have launched no particulars a few doable motive. Investigators mentioned they discovered no hyperlink to any extremist ideology or teams and believed he acted alone.
Following the assault — the nation’s worst mass capturing — the nationwide police introduced they’ve elevated safety round public buildings and colleges, that are closed for the Christmas vacation, throughout the nation. Lectures and occasions at Charles College had been canceled.
The nationwide police pressured that the measures had been preventative and that no particular threats had been recognized.
Nationwide police chief Martin Vondrasek mentioned police imagine the shooter killed his father in his hometown of Hostoun west of Prague earlier within the day, and police are investigating whether or not he is similar assailant who killed a 32-year-old man and his 2-month-old daughter on December 15 in a park in Prague.
The shooter was reportedly a scholar at Charles College, and Czech media mentioned the police had been trying into social media posts allegedly written by the shooter to find out if there was a hyperlink to the assault.
The Czech newspaper Hospodarske noviny, citing a police report it had considered, reported that the gunman had been handled prior to now for psychological issues and legally owned 12 weapons, together with a semiautomatic rifle, a shotgun, and pistols together with silencers.
The police report mentioned that the gunman arrived on the college with a suitcase filled with ammunition. Police mentioned he had a license to personal eight weapons, together with two lengthy weapons.
When requested at a information convention the way it was doable the shooter had such quite a few weapons, Tomas Kubik, a deputy police chief mentioned: “We must work out if it’s a results of a flaw within the system or human error.”
The police report mentioned that the gunman, recognized solely as “DK,” had arrived at Charles College’s School of Arts constructing positioned on Jan Palach Sq. with a suitcase carrying ammunition. No explosives had been discovered within the constructing.
Czech President Petr Pavel mentioned he was “shocked” by what occurred and provided his condolences to the family members of the victims, as did leaders of Germany, France, Slovakia, the European Union, and Israel.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote on X, previously Twitter, that the folks of Israel “empathize with the ache of the Czech folks.”
The White Home mentioned the US 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 supply extra help as wanted,” White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy additionally reacted with shock and unhappiness. “I categorical my honest condolences to the households of the victims and want the injured a speedy restoration, he mentioned on X.
Following the assault, which occurred about 6 kilometers from RFE/RL’s headquarters, performing RFE/RL President Jeffrey Gedmin mentioned that “RFE/RL joins with our group in Prague in expressing solidarity with all affected by in the present day’s stunning occasions at Charles College.”
The capturing prompted panic all through the closely touristed middle of Prague. Movies confirmed the shooter positioned on a terrace of Charles College’s School of the Arts constructing firing onto the big sq. under. One police car was struck in the course of the capturing, in response to the police report considered by Hospodarske noviny.
Mass shootings are uncommon in Europe, however there have been no less than 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 occurred 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 college. Two days later, a gunman killed eight folks and wounded 14 others in a village close to the Serbian capital.
