Prague shooting: Who is David Kozak, the gunman who left 14 dead at Charles University

As many as 14 people were killed while over two dozen suffered injuries in a mass shooting at the Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic on Thursday (Dec 21). The shooter has been identified as 24-year-old history student David Kozak who died during the attack, according to the police.

Who was David Kozak?

Initial reports suggest that David Kozak lived in a village almost 20 km outsidePrague and had been pursuing his master's degree in Polish history at the same university.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Kozak had no prior criminal record but on the day of the shooting, he left his home for Prague, saying "he wanted to kill himself", according toPolice Chief Martin Vondrasek.

Vondrasek told reporters that the shooter had a "huge arsenal of weapons and ammunition".Kozak is suspected of killing his father prior to the mass shooting. He is also believed to have killed another man and his two-month-old daughter on December 15 in Prague.

Citing an inquiry into the student's social media activities, Vondrasek said the gunman was inspired by a "similar case that happened in Russia", without providing further details.

Kozak had been planning the university shooting on the messaging app Telegram, often using it as his 'diary' to chronicle his life as well as his murderous schemes.

"I want to do school shooting and possibly suicide," he wrote in a post, as per the Telegraph, adding, "I always wanted to kill. I thought I would become a maniac in the future."

The Czech police confirmed that Kozak shot and killed himself after the police started encircling him from all directions.

Watch |Prague Mass Shooting: At least 14 killed, 25 injured in Charles University

Current situation in Prague

There is a sense of shock and fear across the capital city where such violent crimes are a rarity. Kozak opened fire from the fourth floor of the philosophy department building of the university around 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT)and went on a total rampage.

As he opened firein the classrooms and corridors of the building, the students and staff used furniture to barricade themselves into rooms.

Thirteen out of the 14 victims have already been identified. Three wounded were foreigners - two people from the United Arab Emirates and one from the Netherlands.

President Petr Pavel has urged for calm and warned that people should not use such a tragedy to spread misinformation or launch political attacks.

“Dear friends, please approach the tragedy that happened yesterday at [Charles University Faculty of Arts] with sensitivity and consideration," said Pavel.

The Czech government has declared Saturday as a national day of mourning as authorities conduct further investigation to understand the motive behind the attack.

(With inputs from agencies)