Shooting report at the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň proves unfounded

Reports of a potential shooting incident at the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň have not been confirmed, Interior Minister Vít Rakušan said on the X platform on Wednesday evening.

Earlier on Wednesday, police received a report of gunshots on the campus, prompting the rapid deployment of a police intervention unit. Approximately 1,000 people were evacuated as authorities searched the premises.

A brief statement released on the X platform indicated that gunshots were allegedly heard a few minutes after 4 PM. However, by the evening, police confirmed that there were no reports of injuries or fatalities and found no evidence of a shooting.

This incident comes less than a year after a tragic attack at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University in Prague, where a student fatally shot 14 people and injured 25 others before taking their own life. The events today highlight heightened sensitivities to potential threats on university campuses across the country.

Author: Ruth Fraňková