“They evacuated us all, it was terrible, there were many police officers everywhere yelling at us with machine guns to flee.” Klára, a student at Charles University in Prague, describes to local media iDNES the terrifying experience she experienced moments after a man began shooting at those who were at the educational center, in the center of Prague.
The attack left 15 dead, including the attacker, who was “eliminated” and dozens injured. The university students protected themselves as best they could, as videos shared on social networks showed. One of the most striking images is that of a group of students who went outside the building through the windows and crouched on one of the building’s narrow ledges, at the risk of falling into the void. Meanwhile, the shooter used a long gun to spread terror.
“Currently trapped inside my classroom in Prague. The shooter is dead, but we are waiting to be evacuated. Praying we get out alive. I blocked the door before the shooter tried to open it. Damn hell,” student Jakob shared on X Weizman, who used chairs and tables against the door to barricade himself in one of the classrooms.
The shooting that occurred this Thursday is the most tragic in the history of the Czech Republic in terms of the number of victims. In 2015, eight people were killed in Uherské Brod and in 2019, six people were killed in a shooting at a hospital in Ostrava.
Petr Nedoma, director of a local art gallery across from Jan Palach Square, witnessed the moment the gunman fired the shots with an automatic weapon. “I saw a young man who had a gun in his hand, like an automatic weapon, and he was shooting towards the Manes Bridge,” he told Czech television. “He shot repeatedly, with some interruptions. Then I saw how he raised his hands and threw the gun into the street, which remained there in the pedestrian crossing.”
The magnitude of what happened, in an EU country, where these types of events are not common, has unleashed reactions of solidarity with the victims and has caused shock among the political class. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was “deeply shocked” by the attack in the capital of the country he governs.
Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda told Czech media: “We always thought that this was something that did not worry us. Now it turns out that, unfortunately, our world is also changing and the problem of the individual shooter is also arising here “
For her part, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also said she was “dismayed by the senseless violence” and expressed her condolences to the families of the victims and the Czech nation.
“The attack in Prague hits Europe in the heart. We are in mourning. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go to the families and friends of the victims,” shared German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
EU leaders, such as Emmanuel Macron, Georgia Meloni, Olaf Scholz and Charles Michel, joined in the condolences. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wished “a speedy recovery to the injured.”
The attack occurs in the middle of the high season in Prague, which at this time is packed with tourists who come to visit its numerous Christmas markets. Tom Leese, 34, and his wife Rachael, 31, were on their honeymoon in the Czech capital. They were having a drink near Charles University, where the massacre took place, when a police officer ran in and started “screaming loudly” in Czech, they told the PA agency. “I asked in English and they told me there was an active shooter and to stay inside and stay low,” Tom said. “The staff were very calm, they turned off all the lights quickly and urged us to stay calm, the restaurant was relatively quiet.” “Obviously, we’re looking forward to getting home now,” he added.