Prague's serene winter charm was shattered into pieces as a senseless shooting rampage left 14 innocent souls in mourning.
The grisly incident, the first of its kind in a Czech school or university, sent shockwaves throughout the nation and left prominent figures baffled and outraged.
Friday morning, Prague, which had been an enchanting winter wonderland the previous day, looked grim and deserted. A makeshift memorial, composed of candles and flowers, was erected overnight at the historical campus of the University's prominent philosophy department, where the tragedy occurred. Despite the harsh weather, locals started visiting the memorial early in the morning to pay their respects.
The Czech Prime Minister, Peter Fiala, addressed the nation on Thursday and labeled the incident as 'senseless' and 'unbearable'. He was profoundly saddened and furious by the illogical and cruel act of violence, predicting that the Christmas celebration would turn into an unimaginable tragedy.
The Czech President, Peter Pavel, voiced disappointment over the loss of so many young lives, describing the mood as 'deep sorrow and helpless anger'.
According to authorities, the shooter was a 24-year-old university student, though official confirmation on his suicide remains pending. Police have yet to release his name.
The motive for the brutal violence within the Philosophical Faculty at Karls-University is still under investigation. The department, known as the Philosophical Faculty, was among the first to be established in 1348 when the university was founded. Offered subjects include history, philosophy, art theory, and languages.
As of Friday morning, eleven of the fourteen victims had been identified by police. The Musicology department of the school disclosed that the Faculty's dean, Lenka Hlávková, was among the casualties, leaving the nation in dire mourning.
The identities of the other victims have yet to be disclosed.
In an update to the media, a Ministry spokesperson revealed that three foreign nationals had been injured in the attack. Interior Minister Vít Rakušan subsequently confirmed that an Emirati and a Dutch national were among the wounded.
As per the Ministry, all the victims thus far confirmed deceased were Czech citizens.
What led to the shooting?
In a press conference, the police chief stated that they had been informed about the shooter's plans, particularly his intent to commit suicide. Later in the day, information surfaced that a man had been found dead in Hostoun, the shooter's hometown west of Prague. The shooter was believed to have gone there prior to the attack.
The shooter reportedly gave a speech at 2pm local time, which caused the evacuation of the building where it was due to take place. However, police received a call about gunfire in another building shortly following their evacuation.
The shooting occurred in an area popular with tourists, situated near Prague Castle on the Vltava River and within walking distance of Old Town Square, where the famous Prague Christmas Market is located. Jewish Quarter is only a short distance away.
Czech authorities are also considering theories linking the shooter with the double murder last week in Kranowice Prague's outskirts, involving a man and a baby found murdered in a forest.
The police chief stated that the shooter had a permit for firearms and owned several.
Compared to other European Union countries, the Czech Republic's gun laws are relatively lax. To legally own a firearm, one must go through a formal procedure that includes a doctor's examination, a competency test, and a background check.
According to official police statistics, more than 300,000 individuals in the Czech Republic hold legal firearms licenses, and the nation has officially registered nearly 1 million legally owned firearms in 2022.
