The Czech Republic will hold a day of mourning after 14 people were killed and 25 injured in a mass shooting – as police investigate the suspect’s links to another murder.

Police say the gunman opened fire on Thursday in the philosophy department at Charles University in Prague – where he was a student – in the worst shooting the country has ever seen.

Based on a search of his home, the gunman – named in Czech media as 24-year-old “David K” – is also suspected in the killing of another man and his two-month-old daughter last Friday.

Prague’s police chief, Martin Vondrasek, added the force believes the suspect killed his father earlier on Thursday in his hometown of Hostoun and that he had also been planning to kill himself.

President Petr Pavel expressed his “great sadness” in a statement, along with “helpless anger at the unnecessary loss of so many young lives”.

“I would like to express my sincere condolences to all relatives of the victims, to all who were at this tragic incident,” he added.

The Czech government declared Saturday will be a national day of mourning to honour the victims, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said.

Previously, the nation’s worst mass shooting was in 2015, when a gunman opened fire in the town of Uhersky Brod, killing eight before ending his own life.

Police had “unconfirmed information from an account on a social network that he was supposedly inspired by one terrorist attack in Russia in the autumn of this year”, Mr Vondrasek said.

“It was a pre-mediated horrific act that started in the Kladno region and unfortunately ended here,” he said, adding the gunman was a legal holder of several firearms.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Police said he was a high-achieving student with no prior criminal record and that he acted alone.

Officers asked not to reveal the man’s identity, but his name reported by some Czech media matched a police search report.

Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said the shooting had no connection to international terrorism.

‘Don’t go anywhere’

The incident took place in the area of Jan Palach Square, in the city’s Old Town district, which is a few minutes’ walk from the Old Town Square, a major tourist attraction where thousands have visited a Christmas market.

Staff at the faculty of arts of Charles University were sent an emergency email during the shooting in which staff were urged to “stay put”, according to Reuters.

“Don’t go anywhere, if you’re in the offices, lock them and place furniture in front of the door, turn off the lights,” the email said.

Read more:
Prague mass shooting: What do we know so far?
Footage shows people cowering on ledge of university building as police hunt gunman

Klara, a student at the university, told local media that she was among those who police evacuated from the building.

“It was terribly scary,” she told iDnes.cz.

“There were a lot of policemen everywhere, who were shouting at us with submachine guns, telling us to run outside.”

Brits caught up

Meanwhile, a British couple who were visiting Prague as part of their honeymoon, said they were ordered to stay down by police during the shooting.

Tom Leese, 34, a video producer and his wife Rachael, 31, an account director, from Surrey, said they were having a drink in the Slivovitz Museum, close to where the shooting took place, when a policeman burst in.

“He started shouting loudly in what I assume was Czech,” Mr Leese said.

“I asked for it in English, and he said there was an active shooter and to stay inside and stay down.

“The staff were very calm, turned all the lights off very quickly and urged us to stay calm.”

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Related posts:

Truck owner who caused deadly Taiwan train crash apologises through tears Maldives ex-president critical after ‘terror attack’ as police try to identify suspects Russian emergencies minister who was ex-Putin bodyguard dies while trying to save filmmaker UK security outlook more dangerous now than at any time in past 30 years, warns new head of armed forces European diplomats remain nervous as talks over Ukraine depend on ‘Russians backing down’ Johnson, Truss and 11 other UK politicians banned from Russia ‘Can you call this a life?’: Bittersweet victory in Lyman as battle has come at a significant cost to civilians Father who helped son over line in iconic Olympic moment dies aged 81 Countries file torture complaint against Syria over ‘unlawful killing’ of thousands of civilians How earthquake rescuers will be working as ‘golden period’ for survival ticks by ‘I can see his body through the ruins’: Inside the Moroccan tourist town that’s ‘expecting 2,000 dead’ Novak Djokovic claims fourth title in New York and historic 24th Grand Slam