Czechs mourn 14 useless, dozens wounded within the worst mass taking pictures within the nation’s historical past
PRAGUE — People in the Czech capital had been attempting to come back to grips Friday with the worst mass taking pictures within the nation’s historical past that left 14 useless and dozens wounded inside a college constructing. The shooter can also be believed to have killed his father earlier within the day and a person and a child final week.
Political leaders, college students, associates of the victims and others got here collectively to gentle candles at an impromptu vigil for the victims of Thursday’s taking pictures.
“A few of my friends study at the philosophy faculty at Charles University,” mentioned Kristof Unger, a scholar who attended the vigil. “They have been really traumatized by the shooting there and I just wanted to make them feel a little bit better.”
Robert Hanus, one other of the vigil’s attendees mentioned, that everyone ought to come collectively to make a stand towards the assault. “This shouldn’t be normalized,” he mentioned.
The university’s rector, Milena Kralickova, was additionally among the many throngs lighting candles. “The academic community is shaken, deeply shaken,” she mentioned.
The shooter, who killed himself as police closed in, is believed to have been Czech and was a scholar at Charles University.
Authorities mentioned Friday that 13 folks died on the scene within the Faculty of Arts and one died later in a hospital. A complete of 25 folks had been wounded, together with three overseas nationals – two from the United Arab Emirates and one from the Netherlands. Authorities warned that the dying toll might rise.
Interior Minister Vit Rakusan mentioned police in Prague labored in a single day and all of the 14 who died have been recognized. Authorities didn’t launch any names, however the Institute of Music Sciences confirmed that its head, Lenka Hlávková, was among the many useless.
Petr Matejcek, the director of the police regional headquarters in Prague mentioned the gunman, who has not been recognized, killed himself on the balcony of the college constructing when law enforcement officials approached him.
Police have launched no particulars a few potential motive for the taking pictures. The inside minister mentioned Thursday that investigators didn’t suspect a hyperlink to any extremist ideology or teams. Officials mentioned they believed the gunman acted alone.
Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek mentioned investigators imagine the person killed his father earlier on Thursday in his hometown of Hostoun, simply west of Prague. He mentioned the gunman was additionally suspected of killing a person and his 2-month-old daughter on Dec. 15 in Prague.
Police mentioned the shooter had legally owned a number of weapons and that he was closely armed through the assault.
Previously, the nation’s worst mass taking pictures was in 2015, when a gunman opened hearth within the southeastern city of Uhersky Brod, killing eight earlier than fatally taking pictures himself.
Charles University was established in 1348 and the Faculty of Arts is one in every of its oldest academic services.
The constructing the place the taking pictures occurred is positioned close to the Vltava River in Jan Palach Square, a busy vacationer space in Prague’s Old Town. It is just some minutes’ stroll from the picturesque Old Town Square, a significant vacationer attraction the place a preferred Christmas market attracts hundreds of holiday makers.
Police mentioned Friday they’ve boosted safety at colleges and different “soft targets” – often public services which can be troublesome to safe – in a safety measure till not less than Jan 1. University rectors additionally mentioned they’d work with police specialists on extra preventive measures to extend safety round campus.
