No attack confirmed on Czech university campus: minister
PRAGUE -- A reported shooting at the University of West Bohemia in the western Czech city of Pilsen was not confirmed, Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan announced on Wednesday.
"Fortunately, the alleged attack on the University of West Bohemia campus was not confirmed," Rakusan stated on the social media platform X.
Czech police received a report of gunfire on the university premises at approximately 5 p.m., prompting the immediate deployment of significant resources, including a rapid response unit and a helicopter. About 1,000 people were evacuated from the campus as a precaution.
"The security measures have now concluded, and as we have previously announced, no one was injured," police confirmed in a subsequent post on X.
The Czech News Agency reported that the incident began when a student called emergency services shortly after 4 p.m., claiming to have heard a gunshot or a sound resembling one near the Faculty of Economics. However, the university later clarified that none of the eight gunshot detectors installed in the area recorded any gunfire.
"We are keeping students and staff informed through bulk emails and social media updates," the university said on X.
The incident comes nearly a year after a tragic shooting at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague, where a student opened fire, killing 14 people and injuring 25 others.