Czech authorities said on Friday there may be evidence that the attack on a university in Prague on Thursday and the deaths in the forest last week were linked.
According to the BBC, the director of the Prague Police said during a press conference that the perpetrator of the murder at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts could be the same person who committed the murders the week before in the Klanovicky Forest.
“We are waiting for more evidence to confirm this,” he said. “Until then, we will continue to investigate the crimes in the forest. We cannot confirm it with 100% certainty for the time being.”
The shooting injured 25 people, nine of whom were in serious condition but have now been stabilized, according to hospital sources. According to public broadcaster CT24, the victims suffered blows to the head, sternum and limbs, and some had to undergo surgery.
In terms of fatalities, the Czech Police Forensic Service has identified 13 victims of the attack. The attacker killed 13 people before killing himself, authorities said, revising the number of victims previously reported at 14.
“We know the identity of the dead. There are 13 victims of the mad gunman, besides himself,” Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said.
The victims included three foreign citizens, whose nationalities were not disclosed but respective embassies were informed, authorities said.
During the press conference, the police director also showed a video of officers storming the university during the shooting.
The gunman, 24-year-old David Kozak, committed suicide on the university roof when he realized police surrounded him “in all directions.”
Czech news portal Idnes.cz indicated on Thursday that the suspect, who had psychological problems, had revealed on social media that he planned the massacre. It also emerged that he studied at the Institute of World History and that he had won a prize from the Polish Institute in Prague since 2018 with a thesis on Poland.
This morning, city transport was restored in the area, around the famous Charles Bridge, after being interrupted due to the attack.
There were many people at the site this morning where they went to light a candle in honor of the victims, and an outdoor area in the university rectory was designated as a place of worship.
The government has determined that Saturday will be a “day of national mourning”, and at noon the sirens will sound and a minute’s silence will be observed.
The Ministry of the Interior also announced a strengthening of preventive measures at the university, with security officers with weapons being present until January 1.
Source: DN
