President Petr Pavel recently welcomed first responders involved in last year’s shooting incident at a philosophical faculty in Prague. The meeting, held at Prague Castle, included paramedics, police officers, and firefighters who responded to the tragic event on December 21st.
Dozens of representatives from the Integrated Rescue System, including psychologists and crisis intervenors, were present at the Castle. The president took the opportunity to thank them for their service and to hear firsthand what the intervention entailed.
The incident took place at the Philosophical Faculty of Charles University, where a 24-year-old shooter killed 14 people and injured 25 others. It later emerged that the shooter had previously murdered a young man and his two-month-old daughter in the Klanovice Forest.
President Pavel expressed his deep appreciation for the responders’ efforts, acknowledging their bravery and adherence to protocol. He thanked each one personally, conveying his wish that they should never face such an incident again.
The police and the university have previously shared their perspectives on how the intervention unfolded and what preceded the incident. This meeting at Prague Castle offered another opportunity to acknowledge the bravery and professionalism of all those involved in responding to the tragedy.