A man in the Czech Republic, 24, was suspected of shooting his father dead, before killing at least 14 people at his university in Prague on Dec. 21, according to Reuters.
At least 25 others were wounded, among whom 10 were seriously injured, the police also told BBC.
He was later found dead of a possible suicide, according to Czech police.
Shooter allegedly shot people randomly
The shooting began at around 10pm (Singapore time) at the Faculty of Arts building of Charles University, BBC reported.
The gunman opened fire in the corridors and classrooms of the building, apparently killing people indiscriminately.
Staff and students in the university reportedly used desk and chairs to barricade themselves into rooms.
Some students could be seen perched on an exterior ledge near the roof of the building trying to hide from the attacker in videos circulating on social media.
Gunshots could also be heard in these videos.
According to the BBC, the students later jumped to safety from the ledge.
Shooter's father shot dead before incident
Earlier during the day, the police reportedly received a tip-off before the shooting that the suspect was likely heading to Prague from his town outside the capital, possibly wanting to take his own life.
Shortly after that, the shooter’s father was supposedly found dead.
Moments before the shooting, the police evacuated a different building of the university where the gunman had been expected to attend a lecture, according to Reuters.
A short time later, the police told Reuters that they were called to the faculty’s larger main building and arrived within minutes of receiving reports of the shooting.
Shooter found dead
The killer was reportedly found dead, though it is not clear whether he shot himself or was shot dead by the police officers.
During investigations, the police said that the suspect, who is also a student from the university, had no prior criminal record. They also claimed that he acted alone.
The motive for the shooting is as yet unclear, BBC reported.
However, they told BBC that they discovered a “huge arsenal of weapons and ammunition” in the university building where the shooting occurred. Reuters also stated that weapons and ammunition were found at the university building where the shooting took place.
No officers were hurt during and after the incident, police said to BBC.
Day of mourning declared
In the wake of the killings, people lit candles and left flowers near the shooting scene.
The university is the oldest in central Europe, established since 1348. It is also the country's oldest and largest university.
“I would express my great sadness along with helpless anger at the unnecessary loss of so many young lives," Czech president Petr Pavel said at a special cabinet meeting held in the aftermath of the shooting.
He also expressed his “sincere condolences” to the relatives of the victims, and called the incident “the most tragic in the history of the Czech Republic”.
Many sports and cultural events have been called off. The Czech government declared Dec. 23 as a day of mourning.
Flags in the country will be flown at half-mast on all public buildings and a minute of silence will be observed at 12pm (Czech time).
Top image from antalattila84/TikTok and Flickr.