Government declares December 23 day of mourning for victims of university shooting incident

The government has declared December 23 a day of mourning for the victims of Thursday's tragic shooting incident at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague. Bells will toll around the country at midday on Saturday and a minute of silence will be held in memory of the victims.

Following a late-night government session on Thursday, Prime Minister Petr Fiala emphasized that the shooting incident, in which 14 people were killed and 25 injured, was the work of a deranged individual and was not linked to international terrorism.

The late-night cabinet session was attended by President Petr Pavel who expressed condolences to the families of the victims and thanked the emergency forces for their good work in responding to the crisis. The president appealed to people not to abuse the tragic incident for political goals, to attack the police or to spread misinformation. “What we need in the face of this tragedy is piety, restraint and solidarity,” the president said.