Published 15:01 IST, December 22nd 2023
Prague gunman -excellent student- killed father before mass university shooting
According to media reports the Prague gunman allegedly killed his father and his two-month old daughter before the mass university shooting incident.
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Prague: In what is believed to be worst mass shooting in Czech Republic's history, a 24-year-old Czech student killed 14 people and injured 25 ors at his university in Prague before reportedly killing himself. According to a Reuters report he allegedly killed his far and his two-month old daughter before mass university shooting incident.
Police, who recovered an extensive arsenal of firearms at downtown Prague Charles University building where incident occurred, received a tip off earlier in day that suspect was likely on his way to Prague from his town in Klno region outside capital with plans to commit suicide.
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Shortly later, shooter's far was discovered de.
Police evacuated a Faculty of Arts building where gunman was scheduled to attend a lecture, but were immediately dispatched to bigger main building of faculty, arriving minutes after reports of shooting, according to Police President Martin Vondrasek.
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Vondrasek informed reporters that police obtained "unconfirmed information from an account on a social network that he was supposedly inspired by one terrorist attack in Russia in autumn of this year," and that shooter was a legal holder of numerous firearms.
"It was a pre-mediated horrific act that started in Klno region and unfortunately ended here." Vondrasek said while ding that gunman is also suspected in deaths of anor man and his two-month-old daughter, who were discovered shot de in woods of a hamlet outside Prague last week.
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gunman's death was most likely a suicide, but investigators are also looking into wher he was killed by police who returned fire, according to Vondrasek.
Shooter a high-achieving student
According to police, he was a high-achieving student with no past criminal record and acted alone. Police requested that man's identity not be revealed, although his name, as published by Czech media, matched a police search record.
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According to Interior Minister Vit Rakusan, re was no link between shooting and international terrorism.
National mourning day across
government announced a national day of mourning to remember victims for December 23 across central European country, following a special cabinet meeting with President Petr Pavel. "I would express my great sness along with helpless anger at unnecessary loss of so many young lives," Pavel said.
“I would like to express my sincere condolences to all relatives of victims, to all who were at this tragic incident, most tragic in history of Czech Republic,” he ded.
Candles were lit outside historic Charles University office, oldest in central Europe, founded in 1348.
Gun crime is uncommon in Czech Republic. In December 2019, a 42-year-old gunman killed six people in a hospital waiting room in eastern Czech city of Ostrava before fleeing and fatally shooting himself, according to authorities.
In 2015, a man shot and killed eight people before killing himself at a restaurant in Uhersky Brod.
(With agency inputs)
11:34 IST, December 22nd 2023