Police gave no details about the victims or a possible motive for the shooting at the building located near the Vltava River in Jan Palach Square. Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said investigators do not suspect a link to any extremist ideology or groups. 

Czech Police have identified the gunman as a 24-year-old student ‘David Kozak’, The Telegraph reported, citing the local media. The Czech government declared Saturday a national day of mourning to honor the shooting victims, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said.

Who was David Kozak, Prague’s Charles University gunman? 

1) David Kozak was studying Polish history at Prague’s Charles University. Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek called him an “excellent student” with no criminal record. However, the senior official did not provide any other information about him. 

2) The gunman suffered “devastating injuries” but it wasn’t clear if he killed himself or was shot to death in an exchange of gunfire with officers, Vondrasek said, adding that there was “nothing to suggest that he had an accomplice.”

3) He legally owned several guns — police said he was heavily armed Thursday and was carrying a lot of ammunition — and that what he did was “well thought out a horrible act,” Vondrasek said.

4) Czech media stated that in the days preceding the attacks, Kozak posted on social media about his thoughts on suicide and mass murder. He was even inspired by “a terrible event abroad”. 

5) Police believe the shooter killed his father in his hometown of Hostoun, just west of Prague earlier on Thursday, said Vondrasek, adding that he was also planning to kill himself. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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Published: 22 Dec 2023, 08:59 AM IST