Czech Republic mourns victims of Prague university shooting

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - The Czech Republic is mourning the victims of Thursday’s deadly shooting at a university in Prague which claimed the lives of at least 15 people, including the shooter.

At 12:00 a.m. local time (1000GMT), thousands of people, including Senate President Milos Vystrcil and three other senators, gathered at the shooting site, Charles University’s Faculty of Philosophy, to observe a one-minute silence for the victims, state-run CTK news agency reported.

In memory of the victims, bells of the churches across the country rang while many shops and the airport in Prague were also suspended, it added.

On Thursday, at least 15 people were killed and 24 others injured in the shooting at the Charles University in central Prague.

Police President Martin Vondrasek said the gunman was a 24-year-old student at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University. The shooter was living in a village, 21 kilometers (13 miles) outside Prague, and his father was found dead earlier in the day.

Citing initial findings, the police chief said the suspect was inspired by similar incidents that have taken place abroad, and he was not connected to any terrorist organization.

The gunman's "lifeless body" was found at the university's Faculty of Arts, said Vondrasek, adding that he committed suicide after an exchange of fire with police.