The shooter, now believed to be dead, opened fire in a university building in the Czech capital.
A mass shooting in downtown Prague led to the death of more than 14 people and the injury of at least 25 others.
Czech police reported that the person responsible for the shooting had died.
The authorities did not mention the names of the victims or provide specific details about them, but said that the incident did not appear to be related to international terrorism.
They are now working to find a motive behind the country’s worst mass shooting.
Czech President Petr Pavel said the killings should not be politicized or fueled by disinformation.
He called for national unity, revealing his “impotent anger” over the incident.
A national day is scheduled for Saturday morning.
Police say the gunman is a 24-year-old student at Charles University, where the shooting occurred.
The shooting began at around 15:00 local time on Thursday.
The gunman reportedly opened fire in university hallways and classrooms, apparently killing people at random.
Police officers closed off the area and advised people to leave the surrounding streets and remain indoors during the incident.
Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda confirmed that the university’s philosophy department had been evacuated.
Photos circulated on social media, said to depict the shooter, show a man dressed in black sitting on a balcony holding a rifle with scopes. One student shared a photo of his classroom door barricaded to keep the shooter out.
Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakosan assured the public that there was no additional attacker at the scene and urged cooperation with ongoing police investigations.
The square remains closed, and the police advised citizens to follow safety measures.
The Prague Rescue Service confirmed 14 casualties, including the shooter, while about 25 others sustained various injuries, including nine people in critical condition.
Pavel Nedoma, director of the Rudolfinum gallery also in the square, said he saw the attacker firing from a window towards the nearby Manis Bridge, which spans the Vltava River.
In response to the incident, Prime Minister Péter Fiala immediately canceled his scheduled events on his way to Prague, expressing his commitment to addressing the aftermath of this unfortunate incident.
advertisementCentral Bohemia police officers announced a search for a young man in connection with the violent death of another man in the region, according to information from the Czech news agency ČTK.
They did not rule out that this was related to today’s shooting in Prague.
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