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Czech Republic MPs vote to tighten gun laws

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The Czech Republic has passed an amendment to its gun legislation, following the recent mass shooting at Charles University. The amendment, proposed prior to the incident, still needs approval from the senate and the president and won’t be effective until 2026. Despite being considered insufficiently transformative, the amendment aims to address loopholes that allowed the shooter, a licensed gun user, to amass eight legally-owned weapons, including an AR-10 semi-automatic assault rifle.

The shooter, a 24-year-old graduate student with a history of depression, killed 14 people on campus. The legal changes propose an updated online register of guns and owners accessible to doctors, including psychiatrists. Gun shops will be obligated to report suspicious purchases, and the system will flag individuals acquiring numerous weapons. Police will gain the authority to seize weapons preventatively, especially if the owners make threats on social media, a power currently unavailable to them.

However, mandatory psychological tests for gun licenses, common in other countries, will not be enforced. Czech doctors can request such tests but are not obligated to do so before signing license applications. The legislation may undergo further amendments in parliament, but the fundamental right to bear arms for self-defense, added to the constitution in 2021 amid EU attempts to restrict weapon possession, is unlikely to be altered. With over 300,000 licensed gun owners and a million guns in the country, the Czech Republic, known for hunting and biathlon, has a majority of licenses granted for personal protection rather than sports or hunting purposes. The necessity of such personal protection in cities like Prague and Brno remains unclear in one of Europe’s safest countries.

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Czech mass shooting: Gunman confessed to shooting baby in woods

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In Prague, the assailant behind the tragic shooting at a university, resulting in the loss of 14 lives, admitted to an earlier double murder in a suicide note discovered by Czech police. This revelation came as investigators found the note in the home of 24-year-old David Kozak, shedding light on his involvement in the killing of a man and his infant daughter in a wooded area near Prague on December 15. Prior to the university attack on December 21, Kozak, who was already a suspect in the double murder case, also took the life of his father, raising the total number of victims to a devastating 17.

The university attack itself, occurring on December 21, stands as the deadliest mass shooting in Czech history. Kozak, a graduate student specializing in history at the university, chose to end his own life as he was surrounded by armed police. The confession within the suicide note verified his culpability for the earlier murders, a case that was already under investigation.

While the motive behind the university attack remains undisclosed, law enforcement authorities are actively continuing their investigation into the matter. In response to this tragic event, Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan has called on mayors to cancel New Year’s fireworks displays as a gesture of respect for the victims. He urged the nation to observe the occasion peacefully, considering the profound impact of the killings on those affected.

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Czech Republic mourns victims of Prague university mass shooting

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The Czech Republic is observing a national day of mourning in the wake of a tragic mass shooting at a Prague university on Thursday. In a devastating incident, a student at the Faculty of Arts building of Charles University shot and killed fourteen people before taking his own life. As a mark of respect, flags on official buildings are flying at half-mast, and a minute’s silence will be observed at midday.

The motive behind the attack remains under investigation as police work to uncover the circumstances leading to this horrific event. This lone gunman assault ranks among the deadliest in Europe this century and has sent shockwaves throughout the country.

Among the victims were prominent figures such as Lenka Hlavkova, the head of the Institute of Musicology at Charles University, translator Jan Dlask, and student Lucie Spindlerova. The shooting unfolded in the corridors and classrooms of the Faculty of Arts building, culminating in the assailant taking his own life as security forces closed in.

Expressing the nation’s grief, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated that it is difficult to find words to convey both condemnation for the act and the profound pain and sorrow felt by society in the days leading up to Christmas.

In a tragic twist, it is reported that the gunman is suspected of having killed his father at a separate location. Additionally, he is linked to the killing of a young man and his two-month-old daughter, whose bodies were discovered in a forest on the outskirts of Prague on December 15. The incident marks one of the largest death tolls from a lone gunman mass shooting in Europe this century.

Founded in 1347, Charles University is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic and stands as one of the oldest institutions of its kind in Europe.

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