At least six people were killed and 16 others injured after a gunman authorities say espoused far-right views opened fire in Krakow, southern Poland, a rare mass shooting that stunned the country.
Three bodies were later found at the suspect’s home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, northeast of Krakow. Police say they were the attacker’s sister, mother and father.
Police began receiving reports of a shooting on Saturday around 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET), when the suspect drove to the city’s main market square and began shooting randomly, killing four women and two men, Krakow police said.
The alleged attacker wore military-style clothing and used “military weapons”, deputy police inspector Katarzyna Cisło told Polish news channel TVN24. They also found “numerous pieces of weapons and ammunition” in his vehicle, Cisło added.
Police later discovered the bodies of three family members during a search of the suspect’s home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, an area about 200 kilometers north of Krakow.
The man, a 25-year-old Polish citizen, was shot and injured by police before being taken to hospital, police said. He was the only perpetrator wanted by the authorities.
He has undergone several surgeries and is in a “stable but very critical condition”, a regional police spokesperson told the Reuters news agency.
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz denied reports that the suspect was a soldier, saying he “never had anything to do with the army.”
The motive for the shooting was not clearly established, but at a press conference, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the attacker was fascinated by far-right ideologies and had “very radical views.”
Two police officers were among those injured in the attack, Kierwiński said. They underwent surgery and are in stable condition, police said.
The two officers “probably saved many lives, without worrying about the risk of losing their own,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X.
Among the injured were five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain, an Interior Ministry spokesperson told Reuters.
Krakow’s main market square, lined with cafes and bars, is generally a lively area, popular with tourists and locals alike.
The city’s transportation agency reported that a bullet fired from the gunman’s gun hit a streetcar, shattering the driver’s window, but causing no injuries.
The suspect also shot dead two horses that were pulling carriages in the city center, according to the animal rights group OTOZ Animals. Both horses are alive, were treated by a veterinarian and were taken out of the area, the group said.
Poland, like other European Union countries, has strict rules regarding the acquisition of firearms and very few people are allowed to own military-style weapons or carry weapons in public.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said “my thoughts are with the victims, the injured and their families.”
Krakow Mayor Łukasz Gibała declared a period of mourning in the city until November 11 and messages of condolences were received from neighboring countries, including the Czech Republic and Ukraine.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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