1,000 students and staff evacuated following Czech university shooting scare

Police have confirmed that no attack occurred at the University of West Bohemia campus in Pilsen following reports of a possible shooting on Monday afternoon. The incident prompted the evacuation of approximately 1,000 students and staff and a large-scale response from law enforcement, including SWAT teams and a helicopter.

Interior Minister Vít Rakušan announced on X that the reported attack was unfounded. "The attack on the campus of the University of West Bohemia was fortunately not confirmed," Rakušan posted at 8:15 p.m., commending the swift and professional response of police and rescue teams. He also praised students and staff for their adherence to safety protocols.

The alarm was raised shortly after 4 p.m. when a student reported hearing what sounded like a gunshot near the Faculty of Economics, according to university spokesperson Andrea Čandová. Police quickly cordoned off the area, halted public transport near the campus, and evacuated individuals to buses for safety.

A police spokesperson, Ondřej Hodan, said all available resources were deployed, including riot units and a rapid response team from Prague. Officers searched the premises and placed additional patrols at other university faculties in Plzen as a precaution.

By evening, police confirmed the absence of injuries or evidence of an attack. “The security measure has just been completed. As announced, no one was injured,” police stated on X.

The incident comes less than a year after a mass shooting at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University in Prague, which claimed 14 lives and left 25 injured. The swift response to Monday’s report reflected heightened awareness in the wake of past tragedies.