Aha Dua Permata: 15 Killed, 30 More Wounded in University Shooting in Prague, Czech Republic

Friday 22 December 2023

15 Killed, 30 More Wounded in University Shooting in Prague, Czech Republic

(Petr David Josek/AP)

The death toll from the shooting in Charles University in Prague has reached 15 and at least 24 people have been injured, Czech police chief Martin Vondracek said on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, the police said that the shooter that opened fire at the faculty of philosophy of Charles University in central Prague has been neutralized and there were 10 people killed and about 30 injured. Later, Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda told reporters that the shooter committed suicide while trying to escape from the police.

"We know that more than 15 people died as a result of this tragic event. At least 24 people were injured," Vondracek told the Czech broadcaster CT24.

Czech President Petr Pavel said on social media he was shocked by the tragedy that befell one of Europe's oldest universities. He expressed deep condolences to the victims’ relatives.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala said he had cut short his trip to the country’s east and was returning to Prague where he would chair an extraordinary cabinet meeting. The government said the meeting was scheduled for 9 p.m. local time (20:00 GMT).

After a shooting has been reported, the police said that they were are operating on Jan Palach Square in the center of Prague.

The entire area around Jan Palach Square has been closed off by the police, traffic has been halted, and trams and buses are being redirected.

The square is home to several educational institutions, including the Faculty of Philosophy at Charles University, the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design.

Prague’s Charles University shooter neutralized — police

The person that opened fire at Prague’s Charles University has been neutralized, the police said on the X platform, adding that there are casualties and dozens of injured.

©AP Photo/Petr David Josek

"The shooter has been neutralized! The [Department of Philosophy] building has been evacuated. There are several casualties and dozens on injured," the statement says.

According to the seznam.cz website, the attacker was killed during the police operation.

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses say on social media that the shooter was armed with a "long-barrel firearm." They say that the shooting in the Department building lasted for a long time.

Department employees and students said that, after the shooting started, they locked themselves in the rooms that they were in. In the meantime, the criminal was moving through the corridors, shooting everyone he met.