The police did not deny that the culprit was a 24-year-old student of the institution.

There are at least ten dead and more than thirty wounded in the shooting that took place on Thursday afternoon in the center of Prague, at the Ján Palach tér building of the Faculty of Arts of Charles University, the Prague ambulance service announced.

The numbers may still change, the condition of nine people is very serious, and 5-6 are moderately serious, the announcement states.

The shooter was rendered harmless. Police spokeswoman Michaela Richterová said there were dead and dozens of injured people at the scene.

According to witnesses who spoke on public service news television, the police shot the assassin dead on the spot.

The information of the Seznam Zprávy news portal that the perpetrator is a 24-year-old student of the Faculty of Arts was neither confirmed nor denied by the police.

The causes of the tragedy are still unknown. Several media outlets reported that the young man had previously shot and killed his father, and police issued a warrant for him at noon on Thursday. After that, the serious incident happened.

Monika Nováková, spokeswoman for the rescue service in Central Bohemia, confirmed to the CTK news agency that a police commando and rescuers found a body in the afternoon at the apartment of the suspected perpetrator in Hostoun near Kladno, whose identification is in progress.

Shortly after the shooting, the police and emergency services moved to Palach square in large forces, and the building of the Faculty of Arts and its surroundings were immediately sealed off.

At the time of the shots, there were about 200-300 people in the building of the Faculty of Humanities, and there were also many people in the surrounding area.

The police asked the citizens of Prague and tourists to avoid the area if possible, and the residents not to leave their homes. According to the footage taken at the scene, students exited the building with their hands raised while it was being evacuated.

Leading Czech politicians expressed their shock at the unprecedented tragedy in Prague. However, a few years earlier, similar tragedies with several victims took place in Uhersky Brod and Ostrava.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Vít Rakusan did not rule out the need for extraordinary security measures.

MTI

Cover image: Police and paramedics at the scene following the shooting at Károly University in Prague on December 21, 2023.
According to the Czech police, several people lost their lives and dozens were injured as a result of the armed attack. The perpetrator was neutralized, but no details were released. MTI/EPA/Martin Divisek