KRAKOW, Poland (AP) – A tragic attack unfolded in the busy Main Square of Krakow on Saturday when a 25-year-old Polish man with far-right views drove into the square and opened fire, resulting in the deaths of six individuals and injuring 15 others. Authorities reported that the gunman was ultimately shot and wounded by police during the incident.
Poland’s Defense Minister described the assault, deemed an "act of terror," as occurring in the heart of Krakow’s Old Town, a significant tourist hub in the country's second-largest city. The attacker, who was not named by authorities, reportedly harbored "very radical" and "ultranationalistic" beliefs, as indicated by Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski.
Kierwinski stated at a news conference, "Everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies." The assailant drove through multiple locations within the square, firing an automatic weapon at each stop. The aftermath of the shootout led to a grim discovery hours later when Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the bodies of three close family members of the suspect—a man and two women—were found in his home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, located approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) northeast of Krakow.
In the devastating attack, four women and two men were killed, with at least three of the deceased identified as Polish. One victim was a citizen of the United Kingdom, while police were continuing to identify the other two victims. A total of 13 individuals sustained serious injuries and were hospitalized, a figure that may include the attacker, who underwent surgery post-incident.
The exact number of individuals shot remains unclear, although two of the wounded were treated and released within hours. Two police officers also sustained serious injuries, as reported by authorities. The wounded comprised both locals and non-Poles, with five non-Polish individuals among the injured.
The attacker was clad in military-style fatigues and a bulletproof vest, utilizing a military-grade long gun in the assault. Krakow police spokesperson, Katarzyna Cislo, stated that police discovered additional weapons and ammunition in the assailant’s vehicle, revealing that he continued to fire at police even after sustaining injuries himself.
Cislo described the incident as a "wild ride" through Main Square, explaining that this was the reason for injuries occurring at various locations. The authorities believe that the perpetrator acted alone during the attack. Krakow’s mayor, Lukasz Gibala, announced that the city would observe official mourning until Wednesday, while vowing that Krakow would remain welcoming to visitors despite the tragic event, asserting, "The square will belong to us again."
Mass shootings are extremely rare in Poland. However, a recent spate of violence in mid-October saw three separate school attacks in the central province of Mazovia within just four days, resulting in one death and numerous injuries, including children. The use of military gear and weapons in the Krakow incident mirrors similar characteristics of attacks by "extreme right lone actors" across Europe, as noted by Kacper Rekawek, a senior researcher at the International Center for Counterterrorism in The Hague.
In the wake of the attack, the mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, announced enhanced security measures, including the installation of road barriers along main streets in the historic areas of the Polish capital, in response to the Krakow shooting.
