22-12-2023 (PRAGUE) Czech students found themselves in a terrifying ordeal on Thursday as a fellow classmate unleashed a ruthless attack, resulting in at least 14 fatalities. This tragic incident marks Europe’s deadliest mass shooting since the 2015 terror attacks in Paris.
The assailant, identified as David Kozak, was enrolled in the Polish history program at Charles University in Prague. Prior to his rampage, he murdered his father before turning his weapon on his classmates. The shooting spree left an additional 25 people injured and only came to an end when Kozak was “eliminated.”
Disturbing images captured Kozak brandishing a black rifle on the university campus, situated near Prague’s renowned Old Town, a popular tourist destination. Czech authorities revealed that they suspect the 24-year-old gunman shot himself after engaging in a gunfire exchange with officers on the building’s walkway. It is believed that Kozak may have taken his own life due to the severity of his injuries, although an autopsy is still pending.
Reports from local media indicate that Kozak had a presence on social media where he expressed fantasies about suicide and mass killings in the days leading up to the attacks. Authorities also revealed that the gunman drew inspiration from a tragic event that occurred abroad. In one of his posts, he referenced a 14-year-old Russian school shooter who killed one classmate and injured five others.
Tak toto je ten pravý hrdina!????????#prague #praha #shooter #shooting #terrorist #hero #policeofficer #czech pic.twitter.com/BBIErJD0Xa
— PIE (@Gucci_Paj) December 21, 2023
Vit Rakusan, the Interior Minister of the Czech Republic, confirmed that investigators were examining whether the gunman was responsible for the murder of a man and his two-month-old daughter in a nearby forest just a week prior to the university shooting.
As news of the attack spread, students took desperate measures to protect themselves. They barricaded themselves inside classrooms and sent urgent messages on social media, while police swiftly made their way to the scene around 3 p.m. local time.
A group of students faced a harrowing escape, forced to climb out of a classroom window and huddle together on the ledge of the building as the violence unfolded on the fourth floor of the Faculty of Arts. In the midst of the chaos, an email was circulated to staff and students, instructing them to remain in their current locations, lock their offices, barricade doors with furniture, and turn off lights.
At the time of writing, the victims had not been officially identified, and authorities cautioned that the death toll could rise.
Kozak is believed to have traveled approximately 13 miles from the village of Hostouň in central Bohemia to reach the university. It was in Hostouň where police discovered the lifeless body of his father. Martin Vondrasek, the police director, revealed that officers had been searching for the 24-year-old prior to the university attack.
“We received information at 12:45 p.m. that a deceased man, the suspect’s father, had been found in the same village,” Vondrasek stated. He added that the gunman had left for Prague with intentions of ending his own life. The first reports of the shooting emerged at 2:59 p.m., and by 3:20 p.m., the shooter’s lifeless body was found on the sidewalk near the school building.
A significant cache of weapons was discovered within the university premises. “Had it not been for the swift response of the police, the number of victims could have been much higher,” remarked Rakusan.
In light of this tragic event, Charles University announced immediate plans to enhance campus security. “We mourn the loss of members of our university community, extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved, and our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy,” expressed the university in a statement.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala cancelled his visit to the city of Olomouc and returned to Prague, while President Petr Pavel expressed his shock at the shooting.
