Police hunt sick copycats who had been ‘impressed’ by Prague shooter
- David Kozak opened hearth at Prague’s Charles University yesterday, killing 14
- Now, Czech police are reporting that they discovered messages on-line by individuals expressing their intention to repeat the shooter’s lethal actions
Copycats who’ve been ‘impressed’ by a mass shooter and vowed to duplicate his mass slaughter in Prague on Thursday are being focused by Czech police.
David Kozak opened hearth at Prague’s Charles University yesterday, killing at the very least 14 individuals and injuring greater than 20 in a calculated assault, officers stated.
The bloodshed, which marks the Czech Republic’s worst mass capturing, befell within the college’s philosophy division constructing, the place the gunman was a scholar.
The gunman additionally died, authorities stated. His identify has not been launched, but it surely has been broadly reported that he was 24-year-old David Kozak, who had killed his father earlier within the day and can be a key suspect in one other double homicide.
Now, Czech police are reporting that they discovered messages on-line by individuals expressing their intention to repeat the shooter’s lethal actions.
They are working to crack down on the people behind the posts.
David Kozak opened hearth at Prague’s Charles University yesterday, killing at the very least 14 individuals and injuring greater than 20, officers stated
In a morning replace, Czech police stated they had been monitoring on-line actions, and defined it was for that reason that they had not launched extra particulars on the shooter.
The much less seen a part of our work is the monitoring of social networks,’ the police stated in a put up on X, previously Twitter.
‘Immediately after the capturing, groups of analysts started to elaborate and study the assorted posts. The writers of the worst atrocities may have the chance to point out their heroism in legal proceedings.
‘Why is it necessary to stay silent on the proper time and never demonise the shooter? Since yesterday, we have now registered a number of particular circumstances of people that had been (allegedly) impressed by the horrible act and wish to observe it,’ the cops added.
‘We reply instantly, if you happen to register one thing like this in your space, name 158.’
The replace added: ‘Starting right now, we have now adopted nationwide PREVENTIVE measures in relation to comfortable targets and faculties.
‘We haven’t any details about any particular risk and it’s actually a prevention – a sign that we’re right here and we’re prepared.’
Later, throughout a press convention, the director of Prague’s police stated that they had arrested one particular person resulting from messages posted on-line.
Czech inside minister Vit Rakusan stated investigators don’t suspect a hyperlink to any extremist ideology or teams.
A chilling picture shared on native media purports to point out the person wearing black aiming a rifle at individuals beneath whereas standing on high of a college constructing
Other extraordinary photos present terrified college students cowering on a ledge excessive up on a college in a bid to cover from the gunman after others had been instructed to barricade themselves in school rooms
A gun recovered by police in Prague which is believed to have been used within the assault
Police Chief Martin Vondrasek stated police imagine the gunman killed his father earlier on Thursday in his hometown of Hostoun, simply west of Prague, and that he had additionally been planning to kill himself. He didn’t elaborate.
Later on Thursday, Mr Vondrasek stated that based mostly on a search of his residence, the gunman was additionally suspected within the killing of one other man and his two-month-old daughter on December 15 in Prague.
The chief described the gunman as a superb scholar – who studied historical past – with no legal file, however didn’t present every other info.
No official motivation has been launched by authorities. However, it has been reported that Kozak was himself impressed by a faculty capturing in Russia earlier this month, through which a 14-year-old schoolgirl killed her classmates after which herself.
‘I wish to do college capturing and probably suicide, Alina Afanaskina helped me an excessive amount of,’ he allegedly wrote in Russian on December 10 of the Bryansk college shooter, who killed two college students earlier than taking her personal life.
The chilling put up in what the author known as their ‘diary’ about ‘life earlier than the capturing’ went on: ‘I at all times needed 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 had been shot useless in Klanovice, a forest space outdoors of Prague.
More than 250 police had been despatched to look the world and a helicopter with thermal imaging was used to scour the woodland space, however the gunman was by no means discovered.
The capturing began at 3pm on the Charles University Faculty of Arts constructing and police stated the gunman was ‘eradicated’ at 4pm after elite cops had been seen storming the constructing
Horrified buddies of the useless 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 college, he centered on himself and began taking part in a variety of sports activities. On that event he met his future spouse.
‘This summer season he talked about how completely happy he’s in his life. He stated he had an exquisite spouse, a toddler and extra on the way in which. What else may you would like for. He appeared completely happy.
‘Who would do such a factor’.
The police chief described the gunman as a superb scholar with no legal file, however didn’t present every other info.
The gunman suffered ‘devastating accidents’ but it surely was not clear if he killed himself or was shot to loss of life in an alternate of gunfire with officers, Mr Vondrasek stated, including that there was ‘nothing to recommend that he had an confederate’.
The gunman legally owned a number of weapons – police stated he was closely armed on Thursday and was carrying a variety of ammunition – and that what he did was ‘nicely thought out, a horrible act’, Mr Vondrasek stated.
University authorities stated they’d tighten safety in college buildings with rapid impact.
A college member of the college, Zora Hesova, stated individuals had been nonetheless locked in school rooms contained in the constructing as armed law enforcement officials descended on the scene
‘We mourn the lack of lifetime of members of our college group, categorical our deepest condolences to all of the bereaved and our ideas are with all these affected by the tragedy,’ Charles University stated in a press release.
The constructing the place the capturing befell is in Jan Palach Square, a busy vacationer space in Prague’s Old Town.
It is only a few minutes’ stroll from the picturesque Old Town Square, a serious vacationer attraction the place a preferred Christmas market attracts hundreds of holiday makers.
The authorities shortly sought to quell considerations that the bloodbath was backed by international pursuits.
‘There’s no indication that it has something to do with worldwide terrorism,’ Mr Rakusan stated.
‘It’s a horrible crime, one thing the Czech Republic has by no means skilled.’
Pavel Nedoma, the director of the close by Rudolfinum Gallery, stated he watched from a window as an individual standing on a balcony of the constructing fired a gun.
Authorities evacuated everybody from the constructing and police stated they had been nonetheless looking out the world, together with the balcony, for explosives.
The constructing varieties a part of the sq. and faces a bridge throughout the river with a view of Prague Castle, the seat of the Czech presidency.
President Petr Pavel stated he was ‘shocked’ by what occurred and supplied his condolences to the kinfolk of the victims, as did leaders of Germany, France and Slovakia, the European Union and Israel.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre despatched a message of condolence.
She stated: ‘The president and the primary woman are praying for the households who misplaced family members and everybody else who has been affected by this mindless act of violence.
‘On behalf of the United States, we ship our condolences and likewise want the survivors of this tragic occasion a speedy restoration.’
The Czech authorities declared Saturday a nationwide day of mourning to honour the capturing victims, prime minister Petr Fiala stated.
Previously, the nation’s worst mass capturing was in 2015, when a gunman opened hearth within the south-eastern city of Uhersky Brod, killing eight earlier than fatally capturing himself.
