At least 15 students were killed after an armed man opened fire in a university building in downtown Prague on Thursday.
The man created a widespread panic with one of the Czech Republic’s worst mass shootings of its kind, according to the city’s rescue service.
The deadly accident took place in the philosophy department building of Charles University, where the shooter was a student.
Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek did not provide any details about the victims or a possible motive for the shooting at the building located near the Vltava River in Jan Palach Square.
On his part, Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said investigators do not suspect a link to any extremist ideology or groups.
Pavel Nedoma, the director of the nearby Rudolfinum Gallery, revealed that he saw from a window a person standing on a balcony of the building and shooting a gun.
Police said they were still searching the area, including the balcony, for possible explosives. The building was evacuated, Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda noted.
The building forms part of the square and faces a bridge across the river with a view of Prague Castle, the seat of the Czech presidency.
President Petr Pavel affirmed that he was “shocked” by what happened and offered his condolences to the relatives of the victims.
