Sadness, gloom and tears: Czech Republic mourns victims of Prague university shooting

By Ebad Ahmed

PRAGUE (AA) - The Czech Republic on Saturday observed a day of mourning to remember the 14 people who lost their lives in a gunman attack at the Charles University’s Faculty of Arts building in Prague on Thursday.

The national flags flew at half-staff as the public observed a minute of silence for the lives lost in the attack at 12:00 a.m. local time.

A packed requiem was held in Prague’s St. Vitus Cathedral, supervised by Prague’s Archbishop Jan Graubner, and attended by the country’s President Petr Pavel.

Hymns were sung and speeches were made on the occasion. Another prayer was offered in the afternoon at Kostel svatého Martina ve zdi (Church of St Martin in the wall). Prague’s international airport also stopped operations to observe a minute of silence.

Archbishop Graubner, during the service, expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. He prayed for the victims and their families and friends.

Religious services and other commemorations were held in other Czech cities, including Pilsen, Brno, Hradec Kralove, Ostrava, and Olomouc.

Local media reported that a number of Christmas markets all over the country were either closed or reduced their schedules due to security measures. The Trade and Tourism Association of the Czech Republic has called upon customers to join in honoring the victims with a moment of reflection.

Those killed in the attack included Charles University’s head of the Institute of Musicology Lenka Hlavkova, translator and Finnish literature expert Jan Dlask and student Lucie Spindlerova.

- Candles lit, flowers laid

People continue to come to put candles and flowers in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in an expression of respect for the victims of the attack. Czech people from all across society, tourists, and students came all day to the site of the incident.

“I was really confused I was not taking it seriously. I didn’t know what was going on and after I saw it in the news I wanted to come here and pay my respect and show that I really do care,” said Clara, a student who was at her school across the river during the shooting on Thursday.

Police personnel cordoned off the entrance of the building and were seen outside the perimeters of the makeshift memorial.

The people at the memorial expressed their shock over the incident and called it a “horrific” act that will remain in their memories.

Christina, a former student of Charles University said: “Now this shooting is happening in my country. It was shocking. But the real shock came a few hours later when everybody realized the tragedy in full reality.”

People were seen bursting into tears at the site of the incident. They observed silence while paying their respects at the memorial.

Jan Carnin, a university student who was in the building during the time of the attack, said: “It’s just strange for me to process it, to know how to feel because it never happened on this scale. It has never happened here before. Only time will show we will be able to feel safe again but I can’t say yet.”

International students and tourists were also seen lighting candles and laying flowers at the site of the incident.

“As a student here in Prague, I never thought I would see this day. It is a tragedy that cannot be described in words,” said Ahmed Javed, a Pakistani student studying mechanical engineering at Charles University.

“It is a sad day, and I am here to show my solidarity with the Czech people to tell them they are not alone in this tough time,” he added.

On Thursday, at least 15 people were killed, including the attacker, and 25 others injured in the shooting at the Charles University in central Prague.

Police President Martin Vondrasek said the gunman was a 24-year-old student at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University.

The Interior Ministry has ruled out the suspect’s link to any terror organization.