Pictured: University director murdered throughout Prague gun bloodbath

The first sufferer of the mass capturing in Prague has been recognized as a University director who spent her profession devoted to finding out the historical past of music within the Czech Republic.

Lenka Hlávková, who was the director of the Institute of Music Science on the University’s philosophy division, was recognized as one of many 14 individuals murdered by gunman David Kozak, 24. 

The Institute shared an image of the mother-of-two whereas confirming her demise within the ‘merciless’ assault. Her colleagues stated they have been ‘completely devastated’ that Lenka, who studied the historical past of music within the Czech Republic, had been ‘senselessly’ murdered.

Kozak killed 14 individuals and injured 25 – ten significantly – in the course of the lethal rampage through which he focused college students and vacationers from the balcony of the Charles University’s philosophy constructing.

It comes as tense police bodycam footage confirmed officers sprinting via the constructing and racing up the steps in the direction of the highest flooring in a bid to seek out Kozak who was taking shot after shot at this victims from the balcony. 

The courageous elite cops barged via a door to the balcony and photographs reveals Kozak’s physique mendacity on the ground. Police stated Kozak, understanding he was surrounded by cops, had killed himself along with his shotgun after throwing his elite long-range rifle off the balcony. 

Harrowing video reveals different law enforcement officials discovering injured college students inside a classroom and desperately attempting to stem their blood loss earlier than evacuating them from the constructing. 

It comes as sickening footage emerged of Kozak took shot after shot at his victims from the balcony of the college constructing as a hero shouted ‘shoot right here you f***er’ in a bid to distract him.

Kozak, who was a Master’s pupil of historical past on the college, is seen standing on the balcony and aiming his highly effective ZEV-30 rifle at individuals under, selecting his victims off one after the other.

Kozak, sporting all black, may be seen strolling calmly alongside the balcony and taking purpose on the terrified college students fleeing the college and vacationers who had been gathered within the fashionable sq. under.

On the bottom, a heroic man, a journalist, may be heard screaming ‘shoot me you f***er’ in a determined and valiant bid to distract the shooter and save the lives of others, stories newspaper Blesk. 

But the 24-year-old ignores his pleas and continues to fireplace in fast succession at his victims under as the person frantically tells police the place precisely Kozak is situated on the balcony via a walkie-talkie, urging them to ‘take a shot’ on the shooter.

The shooter pauses once more, taking cowl beneath a Ukrainian flag, earlier than strolling to the sting of the balcony and resting his rifle – which has the ability to pierce via physique armour – on the bannister. He spots victims fleeing and fires two photographs in fast succession because the heroic man screams from under.

The sickening footage reveals simply how calm and composed the shooter was as he unleashed terror within the mass capturing – the worst within the Czech Republic’s fashionable historical past – as he shot lifeless 14 victims.

The gunman started his assault at 3pm yesterday and by 4pm, police stated he had been ‘eradicated’ after elite cops have been seen storming the constructing. 

The cops opened fireplace at Kozak whereas he was nonetheless attempting to shoot extra victims, Police President Martin Vondrášek stated. 

Other extraordinary photographs present terrified college students cowering on a ledge excessive up on a balcony in a bid to cover from the gunman after others have been advised to barricade themselves in lecture rooms. 

It comes because the Czech police stated in the present day that 13 out of the 14 victims have been recognized, with the federal government asserting a day of mourning on Saturday. The Interior ministry stated there have been two UAE residents and one Dutch individual among the many injured.

Kozak murdered his father in his hometown of Hostoun earlier than travelling the 13 miles into the Czech capital the place he started randomly capturing individuals from the balcony of Charles University’s philosophy constructing. 

The shooter legally owned a number of weapons – police stated he was closely armed Thursday and was carrying loads of ammunition – and that what he did was ‘properly thought out, a horrible act,’ Vondrasek stated. 

He had an enormous arsenal of weapons and ammunition with him, with the nation’s Interior Minister saying that ‘if the police hadn’t entered the constructing in time, the perpetrator would not have been lifeless on the roof and there would have been much more victims.’

In the lead as much as his killing spree, Kozak is believed to have saved a diary in Russian on messaging app Telegram, writing in a single chilling publish: ‘I wish to do a faculty capturing and presumably suicide.’

It emerged final evening that police are investigating whether or not Kozak could have killed a father, 32, and his two-month-old daughter in Klanovice, close to Prague. Hundreds of police combed the wooded space after the perpetrator disappeared, and authorities are at present probing whether or not the 2 killing sprees might be linked.

Thursday’s bloodbath is the Czech Republic’s worst ever mass capturing, and the gunman is believed to have been impressed by a faculty capturing carried out by 14-year-old schoolgirl in Russia earlier this month.

‘I wish to do faculty capturing and presumably suicide, Alina Afanaskina helped me an excessive amount of,’ he allegedly wrote on December 10 of the Bryansk faculty shooter, who killed two college students earlier than taking her personal life. 

The chilling publish in what the author referred to as their ‘diary’ about ‘life earlier than the capturing’ went on: ‘I at all times wished to kill, I believed I’d develop into a maniac sooner or later.’ 

Just 5 days after the disturbing posts appeared on-line, a father and child lady have been shot lifeless in Klanovice, a forest space outdoors of Prague.

More than 250 police have been despatched to go looking the world and a helicopter with thermal imaging was used to scour the woodland space, however the gunman was by no means discovered.

At the time, police spokesman Jan Rybanský advised iDNES.cz.: ‘The case is being labored on by a crew of a number of dozen of essentially the most skilled criminologists, who have been additionally bolstered by colleagues from the Office of the Criminal Police Service and Investigations of the Police Presidium.’

Horrified buddies of the lifeless man stated: ‘I bear in mind him as a trainee from the camp and from the vacationer part. He was pleasant and up for each joke.

‘After faculty, he centered on himself and began enjoying loads of sports activities. On that event he met his future spouse.

‘This summer season he talked about how pleased he’s in his life. He stated he had a wonderful spouse, a toddler and extra on the way in which. What else might you would like for. He seemed pleased.

‘Who would do such a factor’.

As investigations into the double homicide proceed, Czech police now must assess how a mass killing was in a position to happen simply days later, a half an hour drive away in Prague – and whether or not the 2 assaults have been each carried out by Kozak.

‘As far as Klanovicky les is worried, it’s not recognized that the victims have been in any approach linked to the perpetrator. I’m satisfied that the victims have been utterly randomly chosen by an individual with none prison historical past,’ police spokesman Martin Vondráček stated on Thursday evening.

Vondráček revealed on the press convention: ‘We are working very significantly with the truth that the attacker from the Faculty of Philosophy can be answerable for the 2 victims from the top of final week in Klanovicky les.’

Horrific scenes unfolded on the historic Charles University campus on Thursday, with footage displaying the gunman wearing black aiming a rifle at individuals under whereas standing on prime of the celebrated school’s Faculty of Arts constructing.

Terrified college students and vacationers have been seen fleeing whereas others crouched beneath a window ledge on the excessive constructing as gunshots rang out in what’s certainly one of Europe’s prime vacationer hotspots. Reports have steered that one individual died after falling from a constructing as they took cowl.

There are fears that vacationers might be amongst these killed or the 25 injured in in the present day’s capturing, with police working to establish the victims and saying they are going to contact embassies with updates within the occasion of overseas nationals being affected within the atrocity.

Elite cops have been seen storming the philosophy division constructing of Charles University, the place the gunman was a pupil, with police saying the gunman had been ‘eradicated’ at 4pm – an hour after the lethal carnage started.

Police stated the gunman’s physique had been discovered within the space and steered he had taken his personal life when cops closed in on him – although cops did say they’d fired at him.

‘Due to the devastating damage sustained by the suspect, we’re unable to verify his identification,’ Vondráček stated. ‘From the knowledge accessible to me, there ought to have been a suicide, nevertheless, the police additionally used a service weapon.’ 

He added that the demise toll might have been a lot larger: ‘There was a big amount of ammunition and if the police hadn’t entered the constructing in time, the perpetrator would not have been lifeless on the roof and there would have been much more victims.’ 

Dramatic video confirmed terrified crowds of vacationers and locals sprinting throughout the well-known Charles Bridge – certainly one of Europe’s prime vacationer websites – after they heard the sickening sound of gunshots within the metropolis.

The gunman fired at his victims one after the other from the highest of the college constructing – two hours after he’s stated to have murdered his father within the city of Hostoun. 

In separate footage, individuals have been seen operating with their arms raised within the air from the celebrated University’s Faculty of Arts constructing within the capital, as armed law enforcement officials swooped in. 

The capturing began at 3pm and police stated the gunman was ‘eradicated’ at 4pm after elite cops have been seen storming the constructing. At least 14 individuals have been killed within the capturing and greater than 20 have been injured – 11 significantly, Prague’s emergency companies stated. 

British vacationer Joe Hyland, who was on his first vacation overseas along with his group of buddies, stated they have been fearful there might have been a number of attackers, and rushed to textual content their family members in case the worst occurred.

‘As we received onto the tube and we do not know what number of attackers there are and we do not know what the attackers are, so it the tube the perfect place or the worst place to go? So we determined to ring our dad and mom to say we cherished them and name our buddies,’ he advised the BBC.

Speaking from Prague, his buddy added: ‘It’s our first vacation as us boys. When one thing like that occurs you name you family members as a result of you do not know within the confusion in case you are going to have the ability to communicate to them.’

A British father and daughter additionally witnessed the chaos unfold. The unnamed man advised The Sun: ‘My daughter stated, ‘Dad, search for there, there is a man on the roof’. And rapidly it simply went psychological, it seemed like a load of firecrackers. 

‘I’d have stated about 30 individuals received shot. There was a man mendacity lifeless on the correct hand facet of the sq.. He was shot within the chest.’

A school member of the college, Zora Hesova, stated individuals have been locked in lecture rooms contained in the constructing as armed law enforcement officials descended on the scene. 

Police later stated they killed the gunman after they stormed the constructing and have evacuated everybody who was trapped inside.

‘The gunman was eradicated!!!’ police stated on X, previously Twitter. ‘The constructing is at present being evacuated and there are a number of lifeless and dozens of wounded individuals on the scene.’ 

Extraordinary photographs present the gunman, who was wearing black, standing on the roof of the school constructing and pointing his rifle with a scope mounted on prime at individuals down under. 

Petr Nedoma, the director of the Rudolfinum – a live performance corridor on the sq. throughout from the Faculty of Arts – advised Czech broadcaster CT24: ‘Upstairs on the walkway of the Faculty of Arts, I noticed a person standing with a gun in his hand and capturing in the direction of the Mánes bridge with sure delays. 

‘I watched what was occurring from contained in the Rudolfinum for a very long time. I stayed within the constructing and was by the home windows for as a lot cowl as attainable.’

Nedoma added: ‘Then he put his arms up and threw the gun in the direction of the highway, it remained mendacity by the philosophy college. Then lots of people appeared upstairs, I do not know if it was the police. 

‘I left the window and watched the police evacuate individuals from the Faculty of Philosophy, taking them away with their arms behind their heads in numerous instructions, a lot of automobiles, individuals operating round.’ 

Terrified lecturers and college students on the Charles University Faculty of Arts have been instructed to lock themselves in lecture rooms earlier than they have been evacuated.

Klara, a pupil, advised information website iDnes.cz  she was amongst those that police evacuated from the constructing.

‘It was terribly scary, there have been loads of policemen all over the place, who have been shouting at us with submachine weapons, telling us to run outdoors,’ she stated.

An electronic mail despatched to employees and college students on the Faculty of Arts of Charles University had stated a shooter was in certainly one of its buildings and had advised employees to ‘keep put’.

‘Don’t go anyplace, should you’re within the places of work, lock them and place furnishings in entrance of the door, flip off the lights,’ the e-mail stated. 

One pupil, Deda Mrazek, stated she was within the college’s library when the gunman started capturing at his victims. 

Sharing an image of scholars hiding behind a pc lab, Deda wrote: ‘I’m OK. I used to be within the library on the time of the capturing. 

‘They despatched us to the again of the pc lab the place there aren’t any home windows. Word has now unfold that the gunman is lifeless.’ 

She stated as quickly as they heard the gunman had been killed, the terrified college students all referred to as their households to say that they have been secure. 

The police have sealed off the sq. and the world adjoining to the college constructing, which is situated in a busy a part of city that has a preferred avenue main vacationers to Old Town Square 

‘According to preliminary data, the shooter himself needs to be lifeless, there are lifeless and wounded on website, I cannot speculate now in regards to the closing quantity,’ Interior Minister Vit Rakusan stated on Czech Television.

Rakusan added ‘no different gunman has been confirmed’ and referred to as on individuals to observe police directions. 

Police within the Czech Republic’s capital have urged residents to shelter inside and keep away from the world because of the capturing. 

President Petr Pavel tweeted: ‘I’m shocked by the occasions on the Faculty of Arts of Charles University.

‘I want to specific my deep remorse and honest condolences to the households and kin of the victims that the capturing claimed. 

‘I wish to thank the residents for respecting the directions of the safety forces and offering most cooperation.’

The British Embassy in Prague has urged individuals within the metropolis, which is fashionable with vacationers, to keep away from the across the Charles University and the Faculty of Arts. 

Prime Minister Petr Fiala cancelled his journey to the east of the nation and was en path to Prague, he stated on X.

Gun crime is comparatively uncommon within the Czech Republic. In December 2019, a 42-year-old gunman killed six individuals at a hospital ready room within the japanese Czech metropolis of Ostrava earlier than fleeing and fatally capturing himself, police stated.

In 2015, a person fatally shot eight individuals after which killed himself at a restaurant in Uhersky Brod.