PRAGUE – At least fifteen people were killed and 24 injured in a shooting at a university in the Czech capital Prague, local police reported. One of the victims is a Dutch man, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports. The man is being treated in hospital for his injuries.
A spokesperson cannot say anything about the nature of the injuries for privacy reasons. He also cannot share any details about the identity of the Dutchman. The ministry is in contact with the family of the injured Dutchman and provides consular assistance. At least 24 people were injured, some seriously injured.
Shooter was a 24-year-old former student
Police said the shooter was 24-year-old David Kozak, a former student at Charles University in the Czech capital. Earlier in the day, his father’s body was found in his home about 20 kilometers from Prague, The Guardian reports. The act may have been inspired by similar shootings abroad, police say.
The massacre took place in a university on Jan Palachplein. This concerns the philosophy faculty of Charles University in the center of the city.
Police learned that Kozak planned to commit suicide and evacuated a university building where the suspected perpetrator was going to attend a lecture. The gunman opened fire in another building around 3 p.m. Later, Kozak also appears on the balustrade where he appears to shoot indiscriminately into the street.
According to police, it appears that the shooter did indeed kill himself after the shooting, but because police fired on the shooter, the cause of death cannot yet be determined.
According to an analysis by the daily Lidové noviny of images circulating online of the shooting, Kozak would use an AR-15, a weapon that is also by far the ‘most popular’ in shootings in the United States.
Images of the panic circulated on social media: students hurriedly fled from the building. Several people are said to have been hiding in classrooms throughout the shooting. There are also images of students who have climbed out of the building and are hiding on a narrow balcony.
People were urged to avoid the spacious area. Residents were not allowed to leave their homes. According to Interior Minister VÃt RakuÅ¡an, there is no link to international terrorism.
