Six have were killed and several more injured after a gunman opened fire inside a hospital in the Czech city of Ostrava on Tuesday morning.
A gunman, identified in Czech media as 42-year-old Ctirad V. opened fire without warning inside a hospital waiting room in Ostrava around 0700 local time (0100EST), killing four men and two women. The attacker then fled the scene in a car before being tracked down by a police helicopter.
Unable to escape, construction worker Ctirad V. is reported to have shot himself in the head. Although he was rushed to the hospital, he died within 30 minutes.
Eyewitnesses reported having seen bloodied victims being rushed through the hospital on beds on their way to theatre. The condition of the other victims is unknown, and the death toll could rise.
Czech newspaper Blesk reports unconfirmed speculation that the perpetrator may have launched the attack in revenge for the death of a child while in hospital care, or because he felt his own medial conditions were not being properly attended to. Police have not yet confirmed any motive.
Security has been stepped up in Ostrava and other Czech cities in response to the incident.
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