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PRAGUE — Three international nationals had been amongst 25 wounded after a scholar opened hearth at a college within the Czech capital, Prague, killing 14 individuals, authorities mentioned Friday. The mass taking pictures was one of many Czech Republic’s worst assaults in recent times.
Minister Vit Rakusan mentioned police in Prague labored in a single day and 13 of these killed have been recognized. He additionally mentioned three of these wounded had been foreigners — two from Saudi Arabia and one from the Netherlands.
The bloodshed came about on Thursday on the School of Arts of Charles College, the place the 24-year-old shooter was a scholar, Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek mentioned. The gunman additionally died, authorities mentioned. His title has not been launched.
Authorities warned that the loss of life toll may rise.
Early Friday, with the scene of the taking pictures nonetheless sealed off by the police, individuals could possibly be seen lighting candles to mourn the victims at an impromptu vigil by the college headquarters.
Police mentioned Friday they’ve boosted safety at colleges and different “smooth targets” — often public services which are troublesome to safe — in a safety measure. College rectors additionally mentioned they’d work with police specialists on extra preventive measures to extend safety round campus.
Police have up to now given no particulars in regards to the victims or a potential motive for the taking pictures on the constructing situated close to the Vltava River in Jan Palach Sq.. Rakusan mentioned Thursday that investigators did not suspect a hyperlink to any extremist ideology or teams.
Officers mentioned they believed he had no confederate.
Vondrasek, the police chief, mentioned they imagine the gunman killed his father earlier on Thursday in his hometown of Hostoun, simply west of Prague, and that he had additionally been planning to kill himself. He additionally mentioned the gunman was suspected of killing a person and his 2-month-old daughter on Dec. 15, in Prague.
The chief described the shooter as a wonderful scholar with no felony file. He mentioned the gunman suffered “devastating accidents” nevertheless it was not clear if he killed himself or was shot and killed by the police in an change of fireside.
Police mentioned the shooter had legally owned a number of weapons — primarily based on his dwelling search — and that he was closely armed in the course of the assault.
Charles Univeristy issued an announcement earlier mourning “the lack of life.”
Leaders from many nations, together with the US, and the U.N Secretary-Common conveyed their condolences.
The Czech authorities declared Saturday a nationwide day of mourning to honor the victims.
Beforehand, the nation’s worst mass taking pictures was in 2015, when a gunman opened hearth within the southeastern city of Uhersky Brod, killing eight earlier than fatally taking pictures himself.
The constructing the place the taking pictures came about is in Jan Palach Sq., a busy vacationer space in Prague’s Previous City. It’s only a few minutes’ stroll from the picturesque Previous City Sq., a significant vacationer attraction the place a preferred Christmas market attracts 1000’s of tourists.
