His own father: that was the first victim of David Kozak, a 24-year-old philosophy student. Kozak shot his father dead at home in Hostoun, a village twenty kilometers from Prague. The police had an arrest notice sent out for the student, because there were indications that he wanted to kill himself or cause a massacre in the capital. In the basement of his house, officers found gas bombs, ammunition and material with explosive content.
At Charles University in Prague, a building where the student was supposed to attend a lecture was evacuated, but Kozak moved to another building of the Faculty of Arts. There he opened fire on the fourth floor with a heavy weapon. Bystanders were able to take photos and videos from Jan Palachplein of students who risked their lives by taking shelter on a narrow ledge high above the ground. One person is said to have died after jumping from the building. Shooter David Kozak was also filmed and photographed on a terrace of the building: lying down, looking through the sights of his weapon, and standing, in a bizarre frozen position.
One message on “I’m stuck in my classroom in Prague,” the student wrote in his message, “I closed the door before the shooter tried to open it. Fucking hell. The shooter is dead, we’re waiting for evacuation. Praying that I get out of this alive.”
This contains inserted content from a social media network that wants to write or read cookies. You have not given permission for this.
Click here to adjust your preferences
David Kozak studied at the Institute for World History and won a prize for his bachelor’s thesis in May. According to local residents from Hostoun, he was an “introvert type”, “a bit of a nerd”, and according to Czech media the young man suffered from psychological problems. The police also confirmed that he had made notes on social media showing that he had planned the attack in advance, although his exact motive is not yet clear. “He was probably inspired by similar terrible events abroad,” the police chief said.
24-year-old student David K. was identified as the shooter. He also died. — © rr
Inspired by “Alina”
The gunman ultimately killed 14 people and injured at least 24 people. Less than three hours after his father’s body was found, special police units determined that the student was also dead. He is said to have killed himself, although the police also shot in his direction. Officers found a large quantity of weapons in the university building. “Without quick police response, the number of victims would have been much higher,” Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said.
David Kozak’s motives quickly became clear in the hours after the shooting. Messages that the student posted on Telegram between December 9 and 19 under the heading “my diary on the way to the school shooting” quickly circulated on social media. Kozak had made the messages unreadable to the outside world until a few hours before the shooting. The student said he had “a worthless life,” wanted to leave the world “in as much pain as possible,” and that “everyone hated me, still hates me and will continue to hate me.” I don’t care, it’s mutual.” It is unclear why Kozak felt so hated. He had a bachelor’s degree in history and European studies and a master’s degree in history. His specialization in Polish history and the 1846 revolution earned him a prize for his thesis in May.
© Getty Images
In his posts, the student claimed he was inspired by Alina Afanaskina, a 14-year-old girl who shot dead a 13-year-old classmate and injured five people at a school in Bryansk, Russia, on December 7. She did this with her father’s riot gun, with which she also shot herself. Alina was bullied and had arguments with some classmates. Remarkably, her twin sister was in the classroom where the girl was shooting around.
In the hours after the shooting, David Kozak was linked to the deaths of two people earlier this week. A man and his two-month-old daughter were shot dead indiscriminately in the Klanovicky forest near Prague.
Just carrying a concealed weapon
According to a journalist on the scene from the Dutch Volkskrant, the shooter was helped by his girlfriend. The police reportedly confirmed to the journalist that the girlfriend is still on the run and possibly on her way abroad.
When it comes to gun legislation, the Czech Republic is one of the least strict in the European class. There are said to be more than 800,000 firearms in circulation among 300,000 permit holders, in a population of 10.5 million people. Czechs can obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon without giving a reason. It is the only European country where the right to bear a weapon is included in the constitution. This shooting is the deadliest since the Czech Republic’s independence in 1993.
© REUTERS