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Prague
At least 15 dead after school shooting at university in Prague
Nelly Kronstrand,
Josefine Karlsson
Updated 18.33 | Published 15.45
A mass shooting has occurred at a university in Prague.
15 people have been killed and several injured, according to the Czech newspaper Lidovky.
The police were alerted about the shooter hours before the crime.
Shortly after 3 p.m. on Thursday, the police were alerted to a shooting in the building belonging to the Faculty of Philosophy at Charles University in central Prague.
“The shooter has been eliminated!!! The entire building is currently being evacuated and there are several dead and dozens injured," writes the Czech police on X.
At least 15 people have died, including the shooter, Czech newspaper Lidovky reports, citing the rescue service.
Several of the victims are said to have died when they fell from the building while trying to hide from the shooter.
A further 24 people are said to be seriously injured.
The area is still cordoned off by police who are searching for suspected dangerous objects, as the shooter had access to explosives, local media reports.
Policemen on the balcony at Charles University. Photo: Petr David Josek / AP
Policemen block off a street in Prague. Photo: Petr David Josek / AP
Locked himself in classroom
Students and employees locked themselves in classrooms, barricaded themselves and turned off the lights, according to information provided to the Czech newspaper Seznam Zprávy.
Shots are said to have been fired at people in the building and on a bridge below the building.
Large parts of Jan Palach Square have been blocked off.
Witnesses in the square told local media that police officers with guns drawn shouted at the public to leave the scene and hide.
Pictures from the scene show that people who were in the university's buildings fled the buildings with their hands in the air.
- Everyone is very scared and confused. But we are fine, one of the students told Seznam Zprávy after the school was evacuated.
Police: The shooter killed his father
Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda tells local media that the shooter fell from the building and died. This after he shot himself, according to initial information.
"I am completely shocked by what happened," writes Svobodahan on X.
During a press conference on Thursday evening, the police stated that the shooter was a 24-year-old man.
According to local media, he was a Czech student studying history at the university.
The police state that they were alerted about the man already around 12:30 on Thursday.
- We received information about a man who was going to leave the village of Hostouň for Prague and that he wanted to take his own life, says the police president during the press conference.
A few hours before the crime at the university, the 24-year-old's father was found dead in the village.
The motive for the shooting is not yet known and the police do not currently see any connections between the shooter and known terrorist organizations, state the local police.
Swedish Foreign Ministry: Contact relatives
Even the president of the Czech Republic "Petr Pavel" writes about the shooting at X.
“I want to express my deepest regrets and condolences to the families and relatives of the victims of the shooting. I want to thank the citizens for respecting the instructions of the security forces and cooperating with them”.
According to the Swedish Foreign Ministry, there is no information that Swedes were affected in the crime.
"The embassy is following the incident closely. The public is asked to follow the advice and directions of local authorities. People on site are asked to contact their next of kin. For questions or if you want to get in touch with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding this incident, contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on call, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs writes in an email to Aftonbladet.
Police on the Vltava River, Prague. Photo: Petr David Josek / AP
The police cordon off the square. Photo: Czech Police
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