Worst mass shooting in Czech history claims lives of at least 14 people

Dec 21, 2023

Emma Stoltzfus Anchor

By Emma Stoltzfus (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer, Video Editor)

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At least 14 people were killed and dozens more injured in a mass shooting at Charles University in downtown Prague. The tragic incident is being described as the worst mass shooting in Czech Republic history. The gunman, a 24-year-old student, killed his father outside Prague before taking the lives of at least 14 others and injuring 25 more.

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Stále probíhá evakuace budovy, jelikož se někteří studenti před střelcem uzamkli v místnostech. pic.twitter.com/Puw5it55h7
— Policie ČR (@PolicieCZ) December 21, 2023

“The building is still being evacuated as some students locked themselves in their rooms before the shooter,” a Czech police account said in post published on and translated by X.

The national police chief, Martin Vondrasek, mentioned that the gunman was inspired by a similar event abroad but did not specify the location.

Czech Republic’s Police officer Martin Vondrasek speaks to the media after a mass shooting in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. Source: AP Images.

“The police of the Czech Republic received information at 12:20 p.m. that a 24-year-old man from the village of Hostouň, he was supposed to leave for the capital city of Prague, confiding that he wanted to take his own life,” Vondrasek told reporters. “At 12:45, we received information that a dead man was found in the same village and we soon found out that he was the father of the suspect who committed this heinous act today. We found out relatively quickly that he was a student of the Faculty of Philosophy and we found out that in the building of the Faculty of Philosophy in Celetná Street he has a lecture at 2 p.m. That is why we immediately came to Celetná Street, to the building of the Faculty of Philosophy, where we carried out the evacuation of this building, which we finished at 2:22 p.m., and we carried out further search operations for this man.”

Police officers stand on the balcony of Philosophical Faculty of Charles University in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. Source: AP Photo.

Police gave no details about the victims or a possible motive for the shooting at the building

Old Town Square — where Charles University is situated — is a major holiday destination in Europe, attracting thousands of travelers each year.

https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1737859624697741738

Social media videos depict a chaotic situation near Charles University, with individuals fleeing, hiding on ledges of buildings and barricading themselves in rooms. Officers sealed off portions of the city and evacuated parts of the university.

People, one wrapped in a thermal blanket, walk near the building of the Philosophical Faculty of Charles University in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. Source: AP Photo.

Local reports suggest that the shooter had several legally owned guns. However, officials have not released a description of the shooter.

Gun crime is relatively rare in the Czech Republic, with the last major incident occurring in December 2019 when a gunman killed six people in a hospital waiting room in Ostrava before fleeing and fatally shooting himself.

Founded in 1348, Charles University is an international school and one of the oldest universities in Europe.

Tags: Czechia, Europe, European Union, Gun safety, Mass shootings, School Shooting

A MASS SHOOTING AT A UNIVERSITY IN DOWNTOWN PRAGUE HAS CLAIMED THE LIVES OF AT LEAST 14 PEOPLE, LEAVING DOZENS MORE INJURED IN WHAT’S BEING DESCRIBED AS THE WORST MASS SHOOTING IN THE HISTORY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC.

POLICE SAY THE GUNMAN IS DEAD. ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK TIMES HE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A 24-YEAR-OLD STUDENT AT CHARLES UNIVERSITY.

NATIONAL POLICE CHIEF MARTIN VONDRASKA STATED THAT THE GUNMAN WAS INSPIRED BY A SIMILAR EVENT ABROAD BUT DID NOT SPECIFY THE LOCATION. OLD TOWN SQUARE, WHERE CHARLES UNIVERSITY SITS, IS A MAJOR HOLIDAY DESTINATION IN EUROPE, THOUSANDS OF TRAVELERS VISIT EACH YEAR.

SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEOS DEPICT A CHAOTIC SITUATION NEAR CHARLES UNIVERSITY. INDIVIDUALS SEEN FLEEING, HIDING ON LEDGES OF BUILDINGS AND BARRICADING THEMSELVES IN ROOMS.

OFFICERS SEALED OFF PORTIONS OF THE CITY AND EVACUATED PARTS OF THE UNIVERSITY.

LOCAL REPORTS INDICATE THE SHOOTER HAD SEVERAL LEGALLY OWNED GUNS. HOWEVER, OFFICIALS HAVE NOT RELEASED A DESCRIPTION OF THE SHOOTER, AND THE MOTIVE BEHIND THE INCIDENT REMAINS UNCLEAR.

ACCORDING TO POLICE, GUN CRIME IS RELATIVELY RARE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC. IN DECEMBER 2019, A GUNMAN KILLED SIX PEOPLE IN A HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM IN THE EASTERN CZECH CITY OF OSTRAVA BEFORE FLEEING AND FATALLY SHOOTING HIMSELF.

CHARLES UNIVERSITY IS AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AND ONE OF THE OLDEST EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES, FOUNDED IN 1348.