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Police say the 24-year-old gunman was also "eliminated" following the shooting at Charles University in the historic centre of the capital. University staff were told to barricade themselves in rooms during the attack. Prime Minister Petr Fiala said he had cancelled upcoming engagements in light of the "tragic events" on Thursday. The shooting started at about 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) at the university's Faculty of Arts building on Jan Palach Square. Dramatic footage later emerged on social media showing some people jumping to safety from one of the building's ledges several storeys up, and gunshots are also heard. In a separate video, terrified crowds are seen fleeing the area popular with tourists. At a briefing on Thursday evening, the country's police chief and the interior minister said the gunman had been a student at the faculty. They said he was from a village 21km (13 miles) outside Prague. The suspect's father had been found dead earlier on Thursday. The gunman's motives were not immediately known. Preliminary information suggested that no police officers were injured in the attack, the authorities said. The police said they were also working on the theory that the gunman may have been responsible for the deaths of two people last week in a forest near Prague. [grey-place]EPA A person is escorted from the scene of a shooting at Charles University in central Prague, 21 December 2023.EPA Police have urged any witnesses with photo or video footage of what happened to send it in [grey-place]EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock An armed police officer near the scene of the shooting in Prague. Photo: 21 December 2023EPA-EFE/REX/ Shutterstock The area around the university remained sealed off late into the night Sergei Medvedev, a professor at the university, told the BBC he had been in one of the university's auditoriums when the shootings began. "I was giving a lecture at the moment and at first didn't quite realise what happened because there were some sounds. The students... heard it better because I was so much concentrated on my talking, on my lecture," he said. "Then... we understood that something big is happening. There was nothing online yet, nothing in the Czech press and the [news] networks. Then at some point, the special operation groups went storming in, they searched the room briefly and then went out... they told us to stay inside. "One hour later, another police squad broke in and then put us on the floor, briefly searched us then evacuated from the building." US tourist Hannah Mallicoat told the BBC that she and her family had been on Jan Palach Square during the attack. "A crowd of people were crossing the street when the first shot hit. I thought it was something like a firecracker or a car backfire until I heard the second shot and people started running," she said. "I saw a bullet hit the ground on the other side of the square about 30 ft (9m) away before ducking into a store. The whole area was blocked off and dozens of police cars and ambulances were going towards the university." Britain's Joe Hyland, 18, told the BBC he had heard four gunshots. "Everyone was sprinting and running for cover. I have a bad knee, am on a crutch. So I hobbled as quickly as possible," added Mr Hyland, who was on his first holiday with friends. "We got to the metro and went down there because we thought it would be safest." [grey-place]Map showing the location of the shooting Charles University students said they had barricaded themselves in classrooms. "Currently stuck inside my classroom in Prague," Jakob Weizman, a student at Charles University, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) as it unfolded. "Locked the door before the shooter tried to open it." An email to staff at the faculty of arts, seen by Reuters news agency, warned staff of the shooting. It read: "Stay put, don't go anywhere, if you're in the offices, lock them and place furniture in front of the door, turn off the lights." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was "shocked by the senseless violence". Founded in 1347, Charles University is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic, and one of the oldest such institutions in Europe. [grey-place]Banner saying 'Get in touch' Are you in Prague? What have you witnessed? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: * WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803 * Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay * Upload pictures or video * Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. 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Czech Republic --------------------------------------------------------------------- Related WATCH Dramatic video from Prague - people leap from building ledge 5 hrs ago Europe WATCH Watch: Crowds flee after gunman opens fire in Prague 7 hrs ago Europe Czech Republic country profile 11 Dec 2023 Europe --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Home * News * Sport * Business * Innovation * Culture * Travel * Earth * Video * Live * BBC Shop BBC in other languages --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Terms of Use * About the BBC * Privacy Policy * Cookies * Accessibility Help * Contact the BBC * Advertise with us * AdChoices/ Do Not Sell My Info Copyright 2023 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. 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