Fatal shooting reported at Prague university

Police in the Czech capital say that multiple people have been killed or injured

A gunman has killed multiple people and injured dozens more in the Czech capital of Prague, police said on Thursday. Reports suggest that the incident took place at a university campus.

Czech police rushed to Jan Palach square in central Prague on Thursday afternoon amid reports of a shooting. In a post to social media, the force said that several people were found dead at the scene, and that dozens more were injured.

The shooter was “eliminated” by officers, the police said, adding that the building where the incident took place was being evacuated.

The shooting occurred at the philosophy department of Charles University, a faculty spokeswoman told local media. The university is located in a busy area of the city, near the historic Charles Bridge.

Video footage showed panicked crowds running across the bridge, which is usually thronged with tourists. Unverified photos shared by local media showed a man wielding a long rifle on the roof of the university building. 

Praga right now #prague #praga pic.twitter.com/zhxoFeazTp

— Leo Menindez (@LeoMenindez) December 21, 2023