As the sickening sound of gunfire echoed through a Prague university this afternoon, terrified students and professors were forced to resort to extreme measures to survive.
At least 15 people were killed and 24 injured in the devastating mass shooting carried out by a lone gunman around 3 p.m. this afternoon at Charles University's Faculty of Arts, where the 24-year-old suspect was himself a student.
Dramatic footage of the attack shows desperate students and teachers clinging to narrow ledges 40 feet above the ground, locking themselves in classrooms and setting up barricades with furniture as shots were heard repeatedly.
Police in Prague confirmed this afternoon that the shooter took his own life and his father was also found dead. A frightening image shared in local media is said to show the man dressed in black on the roof of a faculty building aiming a rifle at people below.
After the attack, students began to provide insight into their attempts to survive.
An extraordinary image shows a group of nine students crouching on a ledge, clinging on for dear life to hide from the gunman who was allegedly picking off his victims one by one.
This extraordinary photo shows frightened students crouching high on a faculty ledge, trying to hide from the gunman
Another student told how students barricaded themselves in classrooms with tables and chairs
A lone student is seen calling for help while balancing on a ledge. Then he tiptoes around the corner
A lone student was also seen risking his life by tiptoeing across a narrow ledge and calling for help as dozens of police cars arrived at the scene below. Then you see a second student around the corner jumping back into the building through the window.
Another photo shows students locking themselves in a classroom and using several chairs and tables to prevent the gunman from entering.
The student who posted the photo wrote: “I'm currently stuck in my classroom in Prague.” The shooter is dead but we are waiting to be evacuated. I pray that I make it out alive. Locked the door before the shooter tried to open it. Holy shit.'
Footage from one of the classrooms shows a large group of students sitting in complete silence, with the only sound in the video being a single gunshot.
Other striking footage shows terrified crowds of tourists and locals sprinting across the famous Charles Bridge – one of Europe's most popular tourist attractions – after the gunman opened fire in a sickening attack in broad daylight.
Huge groups of people had to shuffle down the steps of the bridge to figure out what was going on.
Elsewhere, people ran for their lives with their hands raised as armed police arrived on the scene and stopped the attack.
And a group of students holed up in a computer lab, relying on information from their phones to get the latest updates.
The student who posted the photo wrote, “I'm fine.” I was in the library at the time of the shooting. They sent us to the back of the computer room where there are no windows. Word has now gotten around that the shooter is dead. “We’re calling everyone and telling family and friends that we’re OK.”
Images circulating online and in Czech media are said to show the shooter on the roof of the university building
Footage from that classroom shows students sitting in silence before a single gunshot is heard
A student, Deda Mrazek, said she was in the university library when the gunman began shooting at his victims. Deda shared a picture of students hiding in the back of a computer lab and wrote, “I'm fine.” I was in the library at the time of the shooting.
People are seen running out of a building in Prague with their arms raised as police arrive at the scene
Dramatic video shows terrified crowds of tourists and locals sprinting across the famous Charles Bridge – one of Europe's most popular tourist attractions – after hearing the sickening sound of gunfire in the city
A man can be seen sprinting through downtown Prague while a group of students hide on the ledge in the background
Petr Nedoma, director of the Rudolfinum gallery in a concert hall across Palach Square, told Czech television he saw the gunman.
“I saw a young person in the gallery who had a weapon in his hand, such as an automatic weapon, and was shooting at the Manes Bridge.” “Repeatedly, with a few interruptions, then I saw him shooting, raising his hands and threw the gun on the street, it was lying there on the crosswalk,” he said.
Police cordoned off the square and the area surrounding the building, which is in a busy part of the city that has a popular street that leads tourists to Old Town Square.
A live broadcast on Czech television showed several ambulances and police cars lined up next to the building with their lights flashing and sirens blaring.
A witness told the news site iDnes.cz that they got off at the tram stop next to the school and “suddenly heard a shooting.”
Klara, a student, told the news website that she was among those evacuated from the building by police.
“It was terribly scary, there were lots of police everywhere, shouting at us with machine guns and telling us to run outside,” she said.
An email to staff and students said the shooter was in one of the buildings.
“Do not go anywhere when in the offices, lock them and put furniture in front of the door, turn off the lights,” the email said.
A newly married British couple have also told of the moment a police officer ordered them to stay down during the shooting in central Prague.
Tom Leese, 34, a video producer, and his wife Rachael, 31, an account director, who are honeymooning in the country, were having a drink at the Slivovitz Museum, near where the shooting occurred.
Armed police officers are seen on the balcony of the university in central Prague on Thursday
On Thursday, paramedics waited near the Faculty of Arts building at Charles University in downtown Prague
Members of the emergency services at the scene of a shooting at Charles University in the center of Prague on Thursday afternoon
A police officer secures the area after the shooting at a Charles University building in Prague on Thursday
Mr Leese said: “A police officer came in and started shouting loudly in Czech.”
“I asked about it in English and he said there was an active shooter and to stay inside and down.”
“The staff were very calm, turned off all the lights very quickly and asked us to stay quiet, the restaurant was relatively quiet.” “The police officer left urgently and we stood in the corner of the restaurant.”
The couple, from Merstham in Surrey, were held inside the museum for over an hour as they heard sirens outside.
Mr Leese added: “Rachael is still in shock.” We were supposed to have dinner in the restaurant right next to the building this evening and had popped in earlier for a drink, but instead we crossed the bridge.
“Because everyone else was so quiet, it didn't seem real to me.” We have contacted all of our families to let them know we are safe.
“Of course we can’t wait to get home now.”
The Prague emergency service confirmed that eleven people had died, including the murderer. According to the information, around 30 other people suffered various injuries, including nine serious ones.
Pavel Nedoma, the director of the Rudolfinum gallery, also located in the square, told Czech public television that he saw a person shooting from a window at the nearby Manes Bridge over the Vltava.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala canceled his planned events and traveled to Prague.
Czech President Petr Pavel said he was “shocked” by the shooting, adding: “I would like to express my deep regret and sincere condolences to the families and relatives of the shooting victims.”