Türkiye 'deeply saddened' over Prague university shooting

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Türkiye expressed sorrow on Thursday over a shooting at a university in the Czech capital Prague that resulted in more than a dozen people losing their lives.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of life in the tragic events in #Prague today," Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said on X. "We extend our condolences to the families of the victims as well as the people of Czechia, and wish a swift recovery to those who were injured".

His remarks came after at least 15 people were killed and 24 others injured in the shooting at the Charles University in central Prague.

Police President Martin Vondrasek said that the gunman was a 24-year-old student at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University. The shooter was living in a village, 21 kilometers (13 miles) outside Prague, and his father was found dead earlier today.

Citing initial findings, the police chief said that the suspect was inspired by similar incidents that have taken place abroad, and he was not connected to any terrorist organization. The gunman's "lifeless body" was found at the university's Faculty of Arts, Vondrasek said, adding that he committed suicide after an exchange of fire with police.