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“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims,” Viktor Orbán wrote in his X-post. The prime minister was reacting to the shooting in Prague on Thursday afternoon that left several people dead.
As he wrote: “I am deeply shocked by the heinous shooting that took place at Charles University in Prague.”
I was deeply shocked by the heinous shooting that took place at Charles University in #Prague today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims!
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) December 21, 2023
A fatal shooting broke out on Thursday afternoon near the Faculty of Humanities at Charles University in Prague. The institution is located in the capital’s Old Town, about 500 meters from the historic Charles Bridge, a popular tourist destination.
According to Czech press reports, the perpetrator was neutralized shortly after 4 p.m. yesterday.
The Czech authorities have reported dead and wounded, and the latest information is that at least fifteen people, including the perpetrator, have been killed, nine seriously injured, and several others slightly injured. Later it was announced that the number of injured has risen to twenty-four.
Based on unconfirmed photos posted on social media, the perpetrator opened fire from the roof with a rifle. His motives are still unknown.
Police say that the perpetrator was also a student at the university.
There were also rumors on X that he had planned and announced the shooting. Some press reports said that the perpetrator was identified as David Kozak, and had posted several posts on social media before the shooting, suggesting a rampage. “I hate the world and I want to leave as much pain as I can,” he wrote in one of his posts.
President of the Republic Katalin Novák also shared her thoughts on X about the horrific events in the Czech capital.
What happened in #Prague is an incomprehensible tragedy! My sincere condolences to @prezidentpavel and the #Czeh people for the shoot-out in Prague. My thougths and prayers are with the families of the victims and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured. Czech Republic, we are…
— Katalin Novák (@KatalinNovak_HU) December 21, 2023
László Kövér, Speaker of the National Assembly, expressed his condolences on behalf of the Hungarian legislature to the relatives of those who died in the shooting. In his letters addressed to Miloš Vystrčil, President of the Senate of the Czech Republic, and Markéta Adamová, President of the Chamber of Deputies, he wrote that he was deeply shocked to learn about the terrible event. On behalf of the Hungarian Parliament, László Kövér stressed: “Our sympathies are with our Czech friends in these difficult times.”
“We were deeply shocked to learn about the shooting in Prague; we are currently not aware of any Hungarians among the victims or the injured,” the State Secretary for Bilateral Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade wrote on his Facebook page.
Tamás Menczer said that the Hungarian Embassy is in contact with the university and the police. He added that developments were being continuously monitored. The State Secretary also noted that “there are approximately 20-30 students from Hungarian universities studying at Charles University in Prague. This does not mean that they are all Hungarian citizens.”
According to the reports, there are no foreign victims.
Yesterday’s event is one of the worst mass shootings in recent European history. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that Saturday will be a day of mourning, and flags will be flown at half-mast on all public buildings and a minute’s silence will be observed at midday.
Via Magyar Nemzet, MTI; Featured image via Facebook/Univerzita Karlova