Search for motive: What does the shooter have to do with the murder of a baby?

The Czech Republic is in mourning after the massacre at Charles University in Prague shortly before Christmas. “It’s a shock – none of us would have expected that something like this could happen,” said a hospital spokeswoman on behalf of many. The government declared one-day national mourning this Saturday. Flags should fly at half-mast and the fairy lights on the Christmas tree in Prague’s Old Town Square should go out. A funeral service is also planned in Prague’s St. Vitus Cathedral. It is the worst gun attack in the history of the Czech Republic.

• ZIB 1: Eva Pöcksteiner (ORF) is live on location in Prague and speaks, among other things, about the current status of the investigation after the shooting spree in Prague. She also talks about the current gun laws in the Czech Republic.

A student opened fire in the main building of the Faculty of Arts in downtown Prague on Thursday afternoon, killing 14 people. In addition, the shooter was also dead, said the head of the Prague police, Petr Matejcek, – the young man probably shot himself. There was still uncertainty about a possible motive. Before the bloody act, the 24-year-old is said to have murdered his father in his house in the municipality of Hostoun, west of Prague. Prime Minister Petr Fiala emphasized that there was no evidence of a terrorist background. Contrary to initial information, there were no foreigners among the victims.

• Also read: Shooting spree in Prague: Czech Republic “in a state of shock” after the bloody crime

From what we know, the crime was probably well planned. The shooter comes from the suburb of Hostoun, west of Prague. He legally owned eight firearms and was apparently inspired by similar acts abroad. In any case, a Telegram channel under the shooter’s name provides relevant information: There he celebrated the act of a 14-year-old Russian girl who shot two classmates at a school and killed herself.

Eyewitnesses reported dramatic scenes. “Suddenly we heard a strange bang,” reported a survivor in the hospital. Then suddenly someone shot through the door.

A terrible suspicion

First, the students barricaded the entrance with benches. When the shooter returned, they climbed out the window and jumped onto a balcony below.

The 24-year-old could have committed another crime. Last week, a man and a two-month-old girl were killed in a forest near Prague. According to authorities, there are indications that the student could be responsible for the double murder. Ballistic studies still need to confirm this, it said.

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