Prague shooting: Bodycam footage shows police storming building in search for gunman
At a press conference, police told reporters the gunman was believed to be on the upper floors of the building when armed officers arrived. The gunman was armed with a shotgun and killed himself, authorities said.
Friday 22 December 2023 16:30, UK
Pic: Czech Police
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Police have released bodycam footage of officers storming a university building
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Police have released bodycam footage of officers storming a university building during their response to a shooting in Prague which killed 14 people.
The footage shows armed officers entering a building and members of the public fleeing the scene at Charles University in Prague on Thursday.
The suspect – named as 24-year-old David Kozak – opened fire in the philosophy department.
A map showing Jan Palach Square, where the shooting took place
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A map showing Jan Palach Square, where the shooting took place
At a press conference today, Petr Matejcek, director of the police regional headquarters in Prague, said they received a call from someone who said they were going to “try and follow the example of the perpetrator and start shooting” but they managed to identify and detain them.
A police spokesperson also told reporters the gunman was believed to be on the upper floors of the building when armed officers arrived on Thursday. They later redirected their search to the roof.
Students at the university had barricaded themselves in their classrooms.
Prague shooting suspect David Kozak. Pic: Czech Police
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Prague shooting suspect, David Kozak. Pic: Czech Police
A perimeter was put in place around the university building, officers added at the press conference.
At one point the gunman shot and injured three people outside the building with a long-ranged weapon and the police fired back.
As the police approached his location he was armed with a shotgun and killed himself, Mr Matejcek added.
Officers found his body while searching the building.
Pic: Czech Police
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Pic: Czech Police
Pic: Czech Police
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Pic: Czech Police
Pic: Czech Police
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Pic: Czech Police
Pic: Czech Police
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Pic: Czech Police
Mr Matejcek added that “piles of ammunition” in “unbelievable quantities” were found at the scene and that the killing could have been worse without the speed of the police response.
Officers said they reached the scene within four minutes.
The gunman, who was a student at the university, killed at least 14 people and injured 25.
Charles University named one of the victims as Lenka Hlavkova, director of the Institute of Music Science FF UK.
Mourners lay candle lights outside the headquarters of Charles University for victims of mass shooting in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. A lone gunman opened fire at a university on Thursday, killing more than a dozen people and injuring scores of people. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)1:07
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Mourners remember victims of mass shooting
Another victim was named as Lucie Spindlerova, a proofreader at the Lidovky newspaper, the paper announced.
Three foreign nationals – two from Saudi Arabia and one from the Netherlands – were among those wounded, authorities have said.
No foreign nationals were among those killed, they added.
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What do we know so far about mass shooting?
Footage shows people hiding on ledge during manhunt
Lenka Hlávková. Pic: Institute of Musicology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University
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Lenka Hlavkova. Pic: Institute of Musicology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University
Lucie Spindlerova
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Lucie Spindlerova. Pic: Livodky newspaper
Links to other murders
Martin Vondrasek, Prague’s police chief, said the force believed the suspect killed his father earlier on Thursday in his hometown of Hostoun and had been planning to kill himself, too.
Based on a search of his home, he is also thought to be a suspect in the killing of another man and his two-month-old daughter last Friday.
It is the worst mass shooting the country has suffered.
Prague shooting0:55
Play Video – People hiding on ledge during shooting
People hiding on ledge during shooting
Saturday will be a national day of mourning to honour the victims, Prime Minister Petr Fiala has said.
President Petr Pavel said there was “helpless anger at the unnecessary loss of so many young lives”.
“I would like to express my sincere condolences to all relatives of the victims, to all who were at this tragic incident,” he added.
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