A promising athlete, a volunteer firefighter, a renowned academic. Czechs mourn the 14 killed in university mass shooting

A promising athlete, a volunteer firefighter, a renowned academic. Czechs mourn the 14 killed in university mass shooting

The Czech Republic has been mourning the loss of 14 people killed in a mass shooting at a university in the city of Ostrava. Among the victims were some of the brightest and bravest members of Czech society.

Veronika Kortanová, an 18-year-old student at the University of Ostrava, was remembered as a “promising athlete” and “role model”. She was a talented soccer player and a member of the local firefighting team.

Tomáš Bozrka, another student, was honored as a volunteer firefighter who served his community with “great dedication”.

Professor Ladislav Sipos, a renowned academic, was remembered for his “enormous contributions” to science.

Each of these victims left behind friends and family who will mourn their loss for the rest of their lives. In the aftermath of tragedy, the Czech Republic has united in grief to mourn these brave and inspiring individuals, and to work toward preventing such violence in the future.