Shooting kills eight in eastern Czech town

A police officer cordons a site near a restaurant where a gunman opened fire in Uhersky Brod, February 24, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

Lebduska said the man told him that he had a gun and some hostages and he "will make his own decision." The phone call lasted about four minutes.

He said he had tried to prolong the conversation over the man's identification and that he had contacted the police simultaneously.

Lebduska described the man as "a person absolutely ruined mentally," and "was firmly decided to do it."

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, who is on a visit to South Korea, is shocked by the attack, he said it an immense tragedy.

He expressed his deep sorrow and condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.

He said he has asked the Interior Minister Chovanec to oversee the investigation of the police personally.

Czech President Milos Zeman's spokesman Jiri Ovcacek said the president was horrified by the attack and offered his condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.

Chovanec stressed this was not terrorist act. He said the gunman had a gun licence. The police are investigating whether he killed the people by a legally held weapon.

Uhersky Brod is a town with almost 17,000 inhabitants on the Olsava River in the Zlin region, in eastern Czech Republic.