Zdeněk Kovář was born around 1951. He was the son of a worker at the Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod firearms factory.

He trained and worked as an electrician. Later he stopped working and was unemployed for at least ten years.

Kovář lived with his wife in a house near Uherský Brod. Neighbors said the couple were loud and often argued.

He had held a gun license since 2000 and legally owned firearms. His family became worried about his mental state and contacted authorities about his possession of a gun license.

When he applied to renew the license, his family asked his general practitioner not to grant the health clearance. The doctor gave him a clearance and his license was renewed in January 2015. The police later asked him to present a new health evaluation.

On 24 February 2015, a shooting took place at the Družba restaurant in Uherský Brod, Czech Republic. Nine people died, including the gunman, 63-year-old Zdeněk Kovář, who shot himself after a standoff with police. One other person was injured. Uherský Brod is about 260 kilometers southeast of Prague.

Kovář entered the restaurant at about 12:30 pm. About 20 people were inside at that time. He was armed with a CZ 75B semi-automatic pistol and an Alfa 820 revolver. Eight victims died either immediately or soon after. One woman was shot twice in the chest but managed to leave the building. Some people hid or escaped through a back door.

A customer hiding under a table threw a chair at Kovář while he was reloading. Another man, Petr Gabriel, hid in a bathroom and remained there for the whole incident. Authorities received the first distress call at 12:38 pm. The first police car reached the building at 12:47 pm.

The first two officers entered the building wearing body armor and with guns drawn. Kovář opened fire on the officers from behind a bar. The officers saw people between them and Kovář and decided not to return fire. They covered the exits and waited for a tactical unit to arrive. Other police units and an ambulance had arrived by then.

At 12:56 pm, Kovář called a Prima TV crime reporter and said he had hostages. A police negotiator made contact by phone at 13:07 pm. Kovář continued to claim he had hostages, which delayed the police entry. He stopped communicating at about 14:00 pm. A tactical team breached the building at 14:23 pm. Upon their entry, Kovář shot himself.

In total, eight people besides Kovář died in the attack. They included seven men, aged 27 to 66, and one woman, aged 47. One woman aged 37 survived despite being shot twice in the chest. The only person found alive inside was Petr Gabriel, who had been hiding in the bathroom.

Kovář was 63 years old at the time and lived with his wife near the scene. Neighbors said the couple were known for loudness and verbal arguments. Kovář had held a gun license since 2000 and legally owned the two firearms he used. His license was renewed in January 2015.

Kovář’s family had become worried about his mental state and had contacted authorities about his gun license. After the January renewal, police ordered a health reevaluation on 17 February 2015. Kovář received the letter on 19 February 2015, five days before the shooting. Under Czech law, a license holder must present a new health clearance within a set time or lose the license.

The shooting prompted reviews of gun licensing rules and police rules for handling active shooters. People debated whether police acted according to their active shooter procedures and whether command decisions delayed an immediate engagement. Politicians and experts also discussed possible changes to tactical units, training, and the registration of misdemeanors and health notifications related to gun licenses.

In the days after the attack, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Družba restaurant to light candles for the victims. Government officials and members of parliament made public statements and calls for review of relevant procedures and laws.