Status: 26.12.2023, 19:18 PM
By: Moritz Bletzinger, Michelle Brey
CommentsPrint Share
In the Czech Republic, a student goes on a killing spree. Before that, he is said to have killed his father and possibly two other people. The police were looking for him.
Update from December 24, 9:21 a.m.: The young man who shot and killed 14 people at Prague's Charles University comes from a small village about 20 kilometers from the capital. 1500 people live in Hostouň.
Bild asked people on the ground about the gunman. "It's incredibly sad what happened. But the family was completely inconspicuous. Everything I can say now doesn't help anyone. The whole country must learn from the incident for the future," says Mayor Martin Kratky. The village is shaken, but it must continue. A black flag hangs from the town hall as a sign of mourning.
Mourning and incomprehension in the Czech Republic: A young student shot and killed 14 people at the university in Prague. © Petr David Josek/picture alliance/dpa
Other villagers describe the gunman as "exceedingly friendly and smart", he always greeted in a friendly manner, was a young man with good manners.
Only one woman claims to have observed something unusual before the bloody deed. "I wondered why he always had a guitar case with him in the last few days. I didn't even know he played guitar," she says. She had never seen him with such a bag before. The suspicion: Was he transporting the weapon to Prague with which the student later murdered 14 people?
Killing spree at university in Prague: What is known so far about the alleged perpetrator
First reported on 22 December, 9.40 a.m.:
Prague – Flags in the Czech Republic have been lowered to half-mast. On Thursday (21 December), a student at Prague University opened fire. He killed 14 people and injured 25 others – ten of them seriously. It may not be the first bloody act committed by the alleged perpetrator. What is known about him?
| What happened? | Killing spree in the Czech Republic. |
| Where did it happen? | At the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University in Prague. |
| When did it happen? | Around 15 p.m., there is said to have been the first information about gunshots. |
My news
30 centimetres of fresh snow and snow line sinking – winter comeback is imminent
Mr. and Mrs. Grupp explain why the choice of the managing director fell on son instead of daughter
After price increase in summer: Experts give new assessment for Croatia holidays in 2024read more
Mass poisoning at Christmas party: More than 700 employees sick after festive meal
Lottery Lucky Won £161 Million: Document Reveals How Much He Squandered Until Death
Cruise nightmare: Woman sells house for three-year trip, then drama reading starts
Paramedics are waiting near the building of the Faculty of Arts of Charles University. Several people were killed and injured in gunfire. © Petr David Josek/dpa
Student shoots at Prague University: He had a "huge arsenal of weapons and ammunition"
According to media reports, some of the victims of the rampage were fellow students of the alleged perpetrator. Not much is known about the 24-year-old at first. He himself studied at Charles University in Prague. As ntv.de reported, he had a bachelor's degree in history and European studies and completed a master's degree with a focus on the history of Poland.
As police chief Martin Vondrasek informed on Thursday, the attacker is said to have had a "huge arsenal of weapons and ammunition". The quick intervention of the police prevented a much larger bloodbath. Even before the gun attack, the 24-year-old was the focus of police in the Czech Republic. According to the police chief, officers began searching for the student after the man's father was found dead in the village of Hostoun, west of Prague. The shooter made his way to the Czech capital and said he wanted to kill himself.
Officials had previously suspected that the shooter had killed his father. According to Vondrasek, the gunman also killed a young man and his two-month-old daughter on December 15. This is said to have happened during a walk in a forest in the east of Prague.
Shooting rampage at university in Prague: Alleged perpetrator apparently inspired by "similar case"
Referring to an investigation in online networks, Vondrasek said the perpetrator had been inspired by a "similar case" this fall in Russia. Initially, the official did not provide further details. As reported by Bild.de and ntv.de, among others, the 24-year-old referred to the actions of a 14-year-old in a Telegram group. At the beginning of December, she had shot a classmate and herself with a hunting rifle in Bryanks, Russia. He is also said to have mentioned a rampage from 2021 in which nine people died.
According to Bild.de and ntv.de, he is also said to have announced his act on the Telegram account. This was also reported by Spiegel.de. "This will be my diary of how I am going to commit a school shooting," the alleged perpetrator wrote in Russian. Initially, nothing of the kind was confirmed by the police.
Rampage in Prague: motive of the alleged perpetrator still unclear
As the German Press Agency (dpa) reported, there were doubts about the authenticity of an alleged Telegram account of the shooter that circulated on the Internet. Initially, the motive was still unclear. As ntv.de reported, citing local media, a neighbor and fellow students described him as an introvert. It was initially unclear whether the shooter killed himself or was shot by the police.
In 2023, there was also a killing spree in Hamburg. Eight people died - including the perpetrator. (mbr)