Six killed after gunman opens fire on tourist hotspot in Krakow

A Polish man with far-right views drove into a busy central square in Krakow on Saturday and opened fire, killing six people and injuring 15 others before police shot and wounded him, authorities said.

The attack, which Poland’s defence minister described as an “act of terror,” happened in Main Square, which is in the heart of Krakow’s Old Town and is a major tourist hub in the country’s second-largest city.

The 25-year-old attacker drove to multiple spots in the square and opened fire at each stop with an automatic weapon, authorities said. Although they didn’t release his name, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the man holds “very radical” and “ultranationalistic” views.

“Everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies,” Kierwiński said at a news conference.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said drone footage appeared to show three bodies inside the home of the man behind the mass shooting. He said the victims appear to be close members of the gunman’s family.

Two police officers were among the injured, including one whose injuries were serious, Kierwiński said. Also injured in the attack were five non-Poles, police commander Marek Boroń said.

Authorities said a total of 13 people were hospitalised in serious condition, though that figure may include the gunman, who underwent surgery after the attack.

It’s unclear how many of the injured were shot. Two of them were treated and released within hours of the mass shooting.

The attacker wore military-style fatigues and a bulletproof vest, and used a military-type long gun, Krakow police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło said. Police found many other weapons and ammunition in his car. He kept firing at the police even after being shot himself, she said.

The attacker engaged in a “wild ride” around Main Square, which is why people were wounded at several locations, Cisło said.

Cisło added that the gunman acted alone and that the public is safe.

Krakow mayor Łukasz Gibała said the city will be in official mourning until Wednesday. He vowed that Krakow will remain open to visitors despite the tragedy.

“The square will belong to us again,” Gibała said in a video posted to X.

Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland. However, in mid-October three attacks at schools in the central province of Mazovia took place within four days, leaving one person dead and many wounded, including children.

It was not immediately clear whether the firearm used in Saturday’s attack, or the guns found in the perpetrator’s car, were legal. Around 411,000 people hold gun permits in Poland, which has a population of 37 million, and interest in gun ownership has been rising.

Images from the scene showed police officers and ambulances covering the area, which is in the centre of Krakow. A Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter also landed in the square.

Krakow is the second-largest city in Poland and roughly 250 kilometres from the capital, Warsaw. Around 15 million tourists visit Krakow annually, the majority passing through the Main Square.

AP

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