As the sickening sound of gunfire echoed through a Prague university this afternoon, terrified students and professors were forced to resort to extreme measures to try to survive.
At least 15 people were killed and 24 injured in the devastating mass shooting carried out by a lone gunman at the Charles University Faculty of Arts – where the 24-year-old suspect was himself a student – around 3pm this afternoon.
Dramatic footage of the attack shows desperate students and teachers clinging to narrow ledges more than 40 feet high, locking themselves in classrooms and building barricades of furniture as the sound of gunfire continued.
Police in Prague confirmed this afternoon that the gunman committed suicide, while his father was also found dead. A chilling image shared on local media allegedly shows the black-clad man pointing a gun at people below as he stands on top of a faculty building.
In the aftermath of the attack, students began to share insights into how they tried to survive.
An extraordinary image shows a group of nine students huddled on a ledge, hanging on for dear life, in an attempt to hide from the gunman, who reportedly picked up his victims one by one.
This extraordinary photo shows terrified students cowering on a ledge high on a faculty in an attempt to hide from the gunman
Another student described how students barricaded themselves in classrooms with tables and chairs
A lone student is seen calling for help while balancing on a ledge. Then he tiptoes around the corner
A lone student was also seen risking his life by tiptoeing along a narrow ledge and shouting for help as dozens of police cars arrived at the scene below. Then you see a second student around the corner jumping back into the building through the window.
Another photo shows students locking themselves in a classroom and using several chairs and tables to prevent the gunman from entering.
The student who posted the photo wrote: 'Currently stuck in my classroom in Prague. The shooter is dead, but we're waiting for an evacuation. Praying to get out alive. Locked the door before the shooter tried to open it. Damn hell.”
Footage from one of the classrooms shows a large group of students sitting in complete silence, with the only sound in the video being a single gunshot.
Other striking images show terrified crowds of tourists and locals sprinting across the famous Charles Bridge – one of Europe's top tourist attractions – after the gunman opened fire in a sickening attack in broad daylight.
Large groups of people had to shuffle down the steps of the bridge as they tried to figure out what was happening.
Elsewhere, people sprinted for their lives with their hands in the air as armed police arrived on the scene and stopped the attack.
And a group of students were pictured hiding out in a computer lab, relying on information from their phones for the latest updates.
The student who posted the photo wrote, “I'm doing well. I was in the library at the time of the shooting. They sent us to the back of the computer lab, where there are no windows. Word has now spread that the shooter is dead. We all call and reply to family and friends that we are doing well.'
Images circulating online and in Czech media claim to show the gunman on the roof of the university building
Footage from this classroom shows students sitting in silence before a single shot is heard
A student, Deda Mrazek, said she was in the university library when the gunman started shooting his victims. Deda shared a photo of students hiding in the back of a computer lab: 'I'm doing well. “I was in the library at the time of the shooting.”
People are seen running from a building in Prague with their arms in the air as police arrived on the scene
Dramatic video shows terrified crowds of tourists and locals sprinting across the famous Charles Bridge – one of Europe's top tourist attractions – after hearing the sickening sound of gunfire in the city
A man is seen sprinting through the center of Prague, while a group of students hide on the edge in the background
Petr Nedoma, director of the Rudolfinum Gallery in a concert hall across Palach Square, told Czech television that he had seen the gunman.
'I saw a young man on the gallery who had a weapon in his hand, like an automatic weapon, and was shooting towards the Manes Bridge. “Repeatedly, with some interruptions, I saw him shoot, raise his hands and throw the gun on the street, it was there on the crosswalk,” he said.
Police have closed off the square and the area next to the building, located in a busy part of the city with a popular street leading tourists to the Old Town Square.
During a live broadcast on Czech TV, several ambulances and police cars with flashing lights could be seen passing by the building, accompanied by the sound of sirens.
A witness told news website iDnes.cz that they got off at the tram stop near the school and “suddenly I heard shooting.”
Klara, a student, told the news website that she was among those evacuated from the building by police.
“It was terribly scary, there were lots of police everywhere shouting at us with submachine guns and telling us to run outside,” she said.
An email to staff and students said the shooter was in one of the buildings.
“Do not go anywhere, if you are in the offices, lock them and place furniture in front of the door, turn off the lights,” the email said.
A newlywed British couple also described the moment a police officer ordered them to lie down during the shooting in central Prague.
Tom Leese, 34, a video producer, and his wife Rachael, 31, an account director, who are on their honeymoon in the country, had a drink at the Slivovitz Museum, near where the shooting took place.
Armed police were seen on the balcony of the university in central Prague on Thursday
Medics wait outside the building of the Philosophical Faculty of Charles University in the center of Prague on Thursday
Emergency service members at the scene of a shooting at Charles University in central Prague on Thursday afternoon
A police officer guards the area after Thursday's shooting in one of the buildings of Charles University in Prague
Mr Leese said: 'A police officer came in and started shouting loudly in what I assume was Czech.
“I asked in English and he said there was an active shooter and I had to stay inside and lie down.
'The staff were very calm, very quickly turned off all the lights and urged us to remain calm, the restaurant was relatively quiet. The police officer left quickly and we stood in the corner of the restaurant.'
The couple, from Merstham in Surrey, were held in the museum for over an hour while they heard sirens outside.
Mr Leese added: “Rachael is still in shock. We were supposed to have dinner tonight at the restaurant near the building and were supposed to stop by for a drink earlier, but we crossed the bridge instead.
'Because everyone else was so calm, it didn't seem real to me. We have been in contact with all our families to let them know we are safe.
“We obviously can't wait to go home now.”
Prague's rescue service confirmed that eleven people had died, including the killer. About 30 others suffered various injuries, including nine with serious injuries.
Pavel Nedoma, the director of Rudolfinum Gallery, which is also located on the square, told Czech public television that he saw a person shooting from a window towards the nearby Manes Bridge over the Vltava River.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala canceled his planned events and headed to Prague.
Czech President Petr Pavel said he was “shocked” by the shooting, adding: “I would like to express my deep regret and sincere condolences to the families and relatives of the victims claimed by the shooting.”