Ten dead and 30 wounded in school shooting in Prague

A gunman has opened fire at a school in the Czech Republic's capital, police have confirmed

A mass shooting in central Prague has left 10 people dead and about 30 others injured while the person who opened fire is also dead, Czech police said. A police spokesperson said officers were deployed due to a shooting at a school in Jan Palach Square.

The philosophy department of Charles University, which is located in the square, was evacuated, Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda said. The square has been sealed off and police urged people to leave the surrounding streets and stay inside.

Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said no other attacker was at the scene but urged people to cooperate with police. Prague’s rescue service confirmed that 11 people had died, including the killer. It said about 30 others suffered various injuries, including nine with serious ones.

Pavel Nedoma, the director of Rudolfinum Gallery, which also is located in the square, told Czech public television he saw from a window a person who was shooting toward the nearby Manes bridge across the Vltava River. Prime Minister Petr Fiala cancelled his scheduled events and was heading for Prague.

Reports on social media say the shots were fired at Charles University. Footage emerged showing people running from the scene with their hands in the air.