Czech Republic: 8 killed plus shooter in restaurant shooting in Uhersky Brod
(CNN) A "crazy murderer" walked into a restaurant Tuesday in the eastern Czech Republic, killing eight people before he took his own life, authorities said.
Diners were settling down for lunch at a restaurant in the center of Uhersky Brod, a town near Ziln of about 17,000 people not far from the Slovak border, when the gunman entered.
The result was one of the Czech Republic's deadliest mass murders in about 40 years.
Authorities haven't named the shooter, nor have they given any indication of his motivation. Interior Minister Milan Chovanec described him as a local man in his 60s who had a permit to own guns.
Reports suggest the gunman was mentally unstable and may have called a Czech TV station's crime line immediately before carrying out the attack.
"We have never seen anything like this before," said Tomas Tuhy, the head of the Czech Republic's national police. "This is a tragedy."
Lunchtime attack
The gunman rushed into the then-packed Druzba restaurant and fired multiple times, Czech TV reporter Vaclav Cernohorsky told CNN, citing the town's mayor. The shooter then killed himself, the mayor reportedly said.
The mayor told journalists the shooter may have been mentally unstable, an assertion seemingly backed up by Chovanec.
Seven of those killed were men, meaning the other fatality was a woman, Czech prosecutors said in a statement.
One other person -- a waitress at the restaurant -- is now in serious condition in nearby Uherske Hradiste hospital, hospital spokeswoman Dana Lipovska said in a statement.
The attack follows other recent mass shootings around Europe, including in Paris and Denmark, that were later characterized as terrorism.
But that wasn't true in this case, according to Chovanec.
Suspected shooter called TV station
According to a crime line operator at the Czech TV station Prima, the shooter called the TV station just minutes before the incident.
Pavel Labduska from Prima said he received a call at 12:56 p.m. local time Tuesday. A man speaking in a quiet, slow voice told him the TV station should send a crew to Uhersky Brod because something was about to happen, he said.
Asked about the details, the caller said "he is being bullied by many people and no authorities are helping him," Labduska said. For that reason, the caller said, he would "do something about it."
Labduska said he realized the man was very stressed, breathing deeply and speaking with long pauses. The man told him he was at Marianske Square in Uhersky Brod and that he was going to harm people. He did not give him precise location, but said he was armed.
Labduska said he alerted the police and tried to keep the man on the line, but the man hung up on him. Within minutes, the shooting is said to have started.
When CNN asked Labduska if he was certain that the man who called was the same man who carried out the shooting, Labduska said the caller gave precise information just minutes before the event. He added that the man was very disturbed.
(CNN) A "crazy murderer" walked into a restaurant Tuesday in the eastern Czech Republic, killing eight people before he took his own life, authorities said.
Diners were settling down for lunch at a restaurant in the center of Uhersky Brod, a town near Ziln of about 17,000 people not far from the Slovak border, when the gunman entered.
The result was one of the Czech Republic's deadliest mass murders in about 40 years.
Authorities haven't named the shooter, nor have they given any indication of his motivation. Interior Minister Milan Chovanec described him as a local man in his 60s who had a permit to own guns.
Reports suggest the gunman was mentally unstable and may have called a Czech TV station's crime line immediately before carrying out the attack.
"We have never seen anything like this before," said Tomas Tuhy, the head of the Czech Republic's national police. "This is a tragedy."
Lunchtime attack
The gunman rushed into the then-packed Druzba restaurant and fired multiple times, Czech TV reporter Vaclav Cernohorsky told CNN, citing the town's mayor. The shooter then killed himself, the mayor reportedly said.
The mayor told journalists the shooter may have been mentally unstable, an assertion seemingly backed up by Chovanec.
Seven of those killed were men, meaning the other fatality was a woman, Czech prosecutors said in a statement.
One other person -- a waitress at the restaurant -- is now in serious condition in nearby Uherske Hradiste hospital, hospital spokeswoman Dana Lipovska said in a statement.
The attack follows other recent mass shootings around Europe, including in Paris and Denmark, that were later characterized as terrorism.
But that wasn't true in this case, according to Chovanec.
Suspected shooter called TV station
According to a crime line operator at the Czech TV station Prima, the shooter called the TV station just minutes before the incident.
Pavel Labduska from Prima said he received a call at 12:56 p.m. local time Tuesday. A man speaking in a quiet, slow voice told him the TV station should send a crew to Uhersky Brod because something was about to happen, he said.
Asked about the details, the caller said "he is being bullied by many people and no authorities are helping him," Labduska said. For that reason, the caller said, he would "do something about it."
Labduska said he realized the man was very stressed, breathing deeply and speaking with long pauses. The man told him he was at Marianske Square in Uhersky Brod and that he was going to harm people. He did not give him precise location, but said he was armed.
Labduska said he alerted the police and tried to keep the man on the line, but the man hung up on him. Within minutes, the shooting is said to have started.
When CNN asked Labduska if he was certain that the man who called was the same man who carried out the shooting, Labduska said the caller gave precise information just minutes before the event. He added that the man was very disturbed.
Czech president bans US ambassador from Prague castle
The US ambassador to the Czech Republic has been banned from Prague Castle, the official residence of the country's president, in a row over Ukraine.
President Milos Zeman said he had "closed the door" of Prague Castle to Andrew Schapiro, the U.S. ambassador, following comments perceived as critical of the Czech's decision to attend a World War Two commemoration in Moscow.
A presidential spokesman later clarified the remarks saying the ban would not extend to social events at the castle.
European Union leaders are boycotting the ceremony in May over Russia's role in Ukraine conflict but Mr Zeman – who has frequently departed from the EU line – has said he would attend.
"I can't imagine the Czech ambassador in Washington would give advice to the American president where to travel," Mr Zeman told news portal Parlamentni Listy.
"I won't let any ambassador have a say about my foreign travels. "Ambassador Schapiro has the door to the castle closed."
Earlier this week Mr Schapiro told Czech television earlier this week it would be "awkward" should Mr Zeman attend the ceremony as the only statesmen from an EU country.
Mr Zeman, a former prime minister, has frequently departed from the common EU line on Ukraine and criticised sanctions against Moscow. The government, which is responsible for foreign policy, however, has held the EU line fully.
The Czech presidency is largely a ceremonial role but Mr Zeman – who was the first president directly elected when he took office in 2013 – is outspoken on his views on both domestic and foreign policy.
The US ambassador to the Czech Republic has been banned from Prague Castle, the official residence of the country's president, in a row over Ukraine.
President Milos Zeman said he had "closed the door" of Prague Castle to Andrew Schapiro, the U.S. ambassador, following comments perceived as critical of the Czech's decision to attend a World War Two commemoration in Moscow.
A presidential spokesman later clarified the remarks saying the ban would not extend to social events at the castle.
European Union leaders are boycotting the ceremony in May over Russia's role in Ukraine conflict but Mr Zeman – who has frequently departed from the EU line – has said he would attend.
"I can't imagine the Czech ambassador in Washington would give advice to the American president where to travel," Mr Zeman told news portal Parlamentni Listy.
"I won't let any ambassador have a say about my foreign travels. "Ambassador Schapiro has the door to the castle closed."
Earlier this week Mr Schapiro told Czech television earlier this week it would be "awkward" should Mr Zeman attend the ceremony as the only statesmen from an EU country.
Mr Zeman, a former prime minister, has frequently departed from the common EU line on Ukraine and criticised sanctions against Moscow. The government, which is responsible for foreign policy, however, has held the EU line fully.
The Czech presidency is largely a ceremonial role but Mr Zeman – who was the first president directly elected when he took office in 2013 – is outspoken on his views on both domestic and foreign policy.
Czech Republic to hand over 900 acres of territory to Poland in border dispute
The Czech Republic is planning to hand over 909 acres of territory to Poland in a bid to end a border dispute dating back to the 1950s.
Citing a desire to maintain good relations with its northern neighbor, Prague has submitted the proposal to Warsaw to reshape a stretch of the border altered under Soviet pressure during the Cold War. The plan is now awaiting Polish approval.
"Poland will be given land back but at the moment the details are confidential so I can't make any further comment," said Bohuslav Sobotka, the Czech prime minister.
Poland has previously refused a Czech offer of financial compensation over the disputed land.
The precise location of the acres remains secret in order to sidestep any attempts at land speculation, but the Czech press has said areas involved are adjacent to the Polish border in northern Moravia and northern Bohemia.
Eva Pavlikova, deputy mayor of the small town Vidnava, which nestles in the rolling hills of Moravia just a stone's throw from Poland, confirmed that some "state land had been earmarked" to be returned to Poland.
Before WWII the areas involved straddled the then Czechoslovak-German border, and had a large German population. When the war was over the German population had left and Poland expanded westwards, meaning that a new border needed to be settled.
The border was later "shortened" during the Cold War in order to make it easier to guard, removing from Poland an area of land around two and a half times larger than Hyde Park.
All the land involved is uninhabited and owned by the state. While much of it is forested some has been rented out by local governments to farmers, and some earmarked for development.
This has prompted local authorities to complain they could lose revenue from lost rent and taxes, and that in some cases they have wasted money installing amenities such as water and sewerage on land that will soon become part of Poland.
The Czech Republic is planning to hand over 909 acres of territory to Poland in a bid to end a border dispute dating back to the 1950s.
Citing a desire to maintain good relations with its northern neighbor, Prague has submitted the proposal to Warsaw to reshape a stretch of the border altered under Soviet pressure during the Cold War. The plan is now awaiting Polish approval.
"Poland will be given land back but at the moment the details are confidential so I can't make any further comment," said Bohuslav Sobotka, the Czech prime minister.
Poland has previously refused a Czech offer of financial compensation over the disputed land.
The precise location of the acres remains secret in order to sidestep any attempts at land speculation, but the Czech press has said areas involved are adjacent to the Polish border in northern Moravia and northern Bohemia.
Eva Pavlikova, deputy mayor of the small town Vidnava, which nestles in the rolling hills of Moravia just a stone's throw from Poland, confirmed that some "state land had been earmarked" to be returned to Poland.
Before WWII the areas involved straddled the then Czechoslovak-German border, and had a large German population. When the war was over the German population had left and Poland expanded westwards, meaning that a new border needed to be settled.
The border was later "shortened" during the Cold War in order to make it easier to guard, removing from Poland an area of land around two and a half times larger than Hyde Park.
All the land involved is uninhabited and owned by the state. While much of it is forested some has been rented out by local governments to farmers, and some earmarked for development.
This has prompted local authorities to complain they could lose revenue from lost rent and taxes, and that in some cases they have wasted money installing amenities such as water and sewerage on land that will soon become part of Poland.