Prague university gun rampage leaves several slow…

PRAGUE (AP) — A scholar opened fire Thursday at a college in Prague, killing no longer decrease than 14 of us, officials said, and injuring extra than 20 within the Czech Republic’s worst mass shooting.

The bloodshed took online page online within the philosophy department constructing of Charles College, where the shooter changed into as soon as a scholar, Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek said. The gunman moreover died, authorities said. His title has no longer been released.

Vondrasek said within the evening that 14 of us had died and 25 had been injured, after earlier reporting that 15 had died and 24 had been injury. He didn’t camouflage the substitute. Authorities warned that the dying toll might possibly possibly maybe upward push.

Police gave no particulars in regards to the victims or a imaginable motive for the shooting at the constructing located come the Vltava River in Jan Palach Sq.. Czech Inside of Minister Vit Rakusan said investigators assemble no longer suspect a hyperlink to any extremist ideology or groups.

Vondrasek said police have the gunman killed his father earlier Thursday in his hometown of Hostoun, factual west of Prague, and that he had moreover been planning to execute himself. He didn’t interpret.

Later Thursday, Vondrasek said that per a search of his dwelling, the gunman changed into as soon as moreover suspected within the killing of yet one more man and his 2-month-faded daughter Dec. 15, in Prague.

The manager described the shooter as an unbelievable scholar with out a criminal file, nonetheless didn’t present any heaps of information.

The gunman suffered “devastating accidents” nonetheless it wasn’t clear if he killed himself or changed into as soon as shot to dying in yet one more of gunfire with officers, Vondrasek said, adding that there changed into as soon as “nothing to indicate that he had an accomplice.”

The shooter legally owned several guns — police said he changed into as soon as carefully armed Thursday and changed into as soon as carrying moderately loads of ammunition — and that what he did changed into as soon as “correctly thought out, a inappropriate act,” Vondrasek said.

College authorities said they would tighten security in university buildings with quick attain.

“We mourn the loss of lifestyles of members of our university community, categorical our deepest condolences to your entire bereaved and our tips are with all those plagued by the tragedy,” Charles College said in a statement.

The constructing where the shooting took online page online is in Jan Palach Sq., a busy vacationer plot in Prague’s Feeble Town. It’s miles factual a little while’ hobble from the picturesque Feeble Town Sq., a serious vacationer enchantment where a most well liked Christmas market attracts thousands of guests.

The govt.immediate sought to quell concerns that the bloodbath changed into as soon as relieve by international interests.

“There’s no indication that it has one thing to assemble with world terrorism,” Rakusan said.

“It’s a inappropriate crime, one thing the Czech Republic has never experienced,” he said.

Pavel Nedoma, the director of the end by Rudolfinum Gallery, said he watched from a window as a particular person standing on a balcony of the constructing fired a gun.

Authorities evacuated every person from the constructing and police said they had been silent looking out the plot, including the balcony, for explosives.

The constructing forms segment of the square and faces a bridge all around the river with a stare of Prague Castle, the seat of the Czech presidency. President Petr Pavel said he changed into as soon as “jumpy” by what came about and supplied his condolences to the members of the family of the victims, as did leaders of Germany, France and Slovakia, the European Union and Israel.

White Dwelling press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre despatched a message of condolence.

“The president and the famous lady are praying for the households who misplaced loved ones and every person else who has been plagued by this mindless act of violence,” Jean-Pierre said. “On behalf of the United States, we send our condolences and moreover wish the survivors of this tragic occasion a hasty recovery.”

The Czech govt declared Saturday a nationwide day of mourning to honor the shooting victims, Top Minister Petr Fiala said.

Beforehand, the nation’s worst mass shooting changed into as soon as in 2015, when a gunman opened fire within the southeastern town of Uhersky Brod, killing eight before fatally shooting himself.

On Thursday, where vacationers, students and others would routinely be playing the stare of the enduring monument, chaos and fright as a substitute took preserve. Police vehicles and ambulances sped all around the bridge with their sirens wailing. Officers sealed off the empty square.

Some video pictures confirmed of us being evacuated from the constructing and others trying to hide unhurried a wall.

Ivo Havranek, a diving instructor, said he changed into as soon as come the constructing when he heard a shot ring out, nonetheless he didn’t moderately have that changed into as soon as what he had heard.

“Simplest within the meantime when I noticed the fully equipped insurrection police with bulletproof vests and shields, it looked to me that I had stumbled on myself in a movie,” Havranek said. “Nonetheless it absolutely changed into as soon as glaring that no-one changed into as soon as shooting a movie.”

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Linked Press video journalist Stanislav Hodina in Prague and writer Zeke Miller in Washington, D.C., contributed.