A gunman is dead after killing at least 14 people and wounding many others in a shooting rampage Thursday at a central Prague university, according to Czech police.
The attack at Charles University came after authorities received some prior warning about a student at the school, according to the country's head of police, though an investigation into key details of the shooting is just beginning.
Here's what we know so far:
- The attack had a devastating toll: At least 14 people were killed and 25 others wounded, according to the latest update provided by police. Authorities revised the number of those killed and hurt in the attack as their investigation unfolded and victims received treatment at hospitals. At least 10 of those wounded are in serious condition, officials said. The victims were gunned down at Charles University, located in the busy tourist center of Prague.
- The shooter is dead: Early reports indicate the shooter took his own life after the attack, but that is not yet confirmed, Czech Police President Martin Vondrášek said in a news conference. The shooter has not been formally identified because of the severity of his injuries, the police chief said, but investigators believe they know his identity. The suspect is a 24-year-old philosophy student at the school who had a gun permit and several weapons, Vondrášek said.
- Police were tipped off about the suspect: Authorities received a tip saying the suspect was traveling from his hometown of Hostouň to Prague intending to take his own life, police said. Shortly after that, they learned that a man believed to be the suspect's father was found dead in Hostouň, which is about 100 miles from the Czech capital.
- Officials had evacuated a different school building: Police were aware the suspected shooter had a lecture at 2 p.m. CET (8 a.m. ET) Thursday and had evacuated the building where the lecture was meant to take place, Vondrášek said. But then police received a call about a shooting in a different building on campus, according to the police chief.
- Students scrambled to escape the gunfire: Police said it took time to help students safely evacuate after the shooting, as some had locked themselves in classrooms. A group of students climbed out of a classroom window and hid on the ledge of the university's Faculty of Arts building in an attempt to escape, a photo on social media showed.
- Officials expressed shock at the violence: Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala expressed his condolences to the loved ones of the victims and said there was "absolutely no explanation, no justification" for the "senseless attack." He said it was believed to be an isolated incident and not an act of terror or attack by an organized group. Other European leaders also condemned the violence and expressed shock at the attack.
