Police earlier said the shooter that opened fire at the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University in central Prague had been neutralized, and that there were 10 people killed and about 30 injured. Later, Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda told reporters the shooter committed suicide while trying to escape from the police.
"I want to clarify the number of dead and injured. As of now, I can confirm that there were 14 killed as a result of the tragic crime and 25 have been injured, including 10 people in serious condition," Vondracek told reporters.
Czech President Petr Pavel said on social media he was shocked by the tragedy that befell one of Europe's oldest universities. He expressed deep condolences to the victims’ relatives.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala said he had cut short his trip to the country’s east and was returning to Prague, where he would chair an extraordinary cabinet meeting. The government said the meeting was scheduled for 9 p.m. local time (20:00 GMT).
After the shooting was reported, police said they were operating on Jan Palach Square in the center of Prague.
The entire area around Jan Palach Square has been closed off by police, traffic has been halted, and trams and buses are being redirected.
The square is home to several educational institutions, including the Faculty of Philosophy at Charles University, the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design.