The Czech Republic woke up to images of hearses leaving the grounds of a prestigious university in the capital Prague Friday as the country reeled from its worst-ever mass shooting.
On Thursday afternoon, a gunman opened fire at Charles University, killing 14 people and wounding 25 others, authorities said.
Police say the shooter, who had multiple firearms and a large amount of ammunition on him, had no criminal record and was a student at Charles University. Authorities have not released the name of the attacker, who took his own life.
Minister of the Interior Vít Rakušan has said that officials are looking into a possible motive for the attack, but there was no indication that it had any connection with international terrorism.
The attacker’s first victim was identified as Lenka Hlávková, the head of the institute of musicology at Charles University, according to a statement by the institute posted on Facebook on Friday.
The incident, which shook the nation where mass shootings are rare, took place a few minutes’ walk from the picturesque Old Town Square, a major tourist attraction where a popular Christmas market draws thousands of visitors every year.
“I would like to express my sincere condolences to all relatives of the victims, to all who were at this tragic incident, the most tragic in the history of the Czech Republic,” President Petr Pavel said in the shooting’s aftermath.
The historical district of Prague was sealed off during the shooting, and video footage showed police evacuating students and staff in single-file from the university building.
In a video circulating online and verified by NBC News, several people can be seen leaping from a ledge of a building near the roof at the university amid the sound of gunfire and wailing police sirens.
Authorities say the gunman had multiple firearms and a large amount of ammunition.
Czech national police said Friday they are establishing presence and adopting “preventative” measures across the country, especially around schools, although they said they had no information about any “specific threat.”
Saturday has been declared a national day of mourning, as people have been bringing flowers and candles to a makeshift memorial for the victims at the university.
“The level of violence that occurred today at Charles University is absolutely new and completely shocking for our academic community and for the Czech Republic,” the university said in another online statement late Thursday, as it also said all classes and events would be canceled on Friday.
President Joe Biden expressed his condolences late Thursday, saying on X that his heart was with those who lost their lives in what he called a “senseless shooting.” He said the U.S. stands ready to offer additional support if needed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
