Czech President Václav Klaus was shot at with a replica gun at close range on Friday but managed to come out of the assault with only minor injuries.

Local media reported that a man dressed in camouflage clothing approached the president during a bridge opening ceremony in the town of Chrastava in northern Czech Republic. The attacker, who was later found to also be carrying a tear gas dispense, fired three to four pellets from the plastic gun .

Czech commercial television station TV Nova reported that Klaus reprimanded his bodyguards after the incident for letting the attacker get so close.