Police are investigating a shooting in Krakow, Poland, after six people – four women and two men – were killed and at least 16 were injured, including two police officers.
One of the victims was a British citizen. Another three were Polish.
The gunman, a 25-year-old Polish citizen allegedly ‘influenced by far-right ideology’, drove onto Krakow’s busy main market square, Rynek Glowny, at around 3pm local time.
He then started ‘firing at random people from his car’ before he was ‘shot and neutralised’. He was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
Poland’s interior minister Marcin Kierwinski said: ‘Everything points to the fact that the gunman was influenced by far-right ideology.
‘Police officers are on-site, as are agents from the Internal Security Agency, both here at the scene and at the individual’s family home.’
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The interior minister added ‘many guns were found’ inside the car the shooter, who had ‘very radical views’, was driving.
Additionally, two women and a man were found dead at the gunman’s home, which also contained ‘quite a lot of guns’. The deceased are believed to be his family members.
Numbers have continued rising, as it was previously said that five had been killed and a dozen were injured.
Paramedics treated victims near St Mary’s Basilica, and an air ambulance helicopter was sent to the square.
What we know about the shooter
The gunman is known to have used a long military-style rifle and wore ‘military-style attire’, according to spokesperson Katarzyna Cislo.
She said he had ‘many pieces of weapons and ammunition’ in his vehicle, which was inspected for pyrotechnic devices, but Polish Defence Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz firmly denied that he was a soldier in the Polish Army.
‘The man was not and is not a soldier in the Polish Armed Forces and has never had anything to do with the military,’ he stated.
Police identified the shooter as an Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski resident who had a permit for two firearms.
The suspect was shot at several times by police before being detained, but he ‘returned fire’, leading to the two officers sustaining injuries.
One officer was shot three times, leaving him in a critical condition and needing surgery.
‘I’ve never witnessed such panic’
Speaking to daily newspaper Gazeta Krakowska, one person recalled: ‘My wife called. She works at the Main Square. She said someone was shooting a gun in the square. People started running into the shops in panic. Then, apparently, a policeman shot someone.’
An eyewitness, Alexander, also told tabloid Fakt: ‘We were walking to a store and heard gunshots. Suddenly, we turned around, and people started running. Tourists from other countries didn’t know what was happening.
‘We heard about 20 shots, ran into the store, the lady closed the door, and we waited a moment. I’ve never witnessed such panic. People were running into stores to hide.’
He added to TV Republika that he saw the shooter driving a black Subaru, with another witness having seen him ‘loading his machine gun’.
‘I don’t think he was firing blindly; these were deliberate shots,’ they speculated.
‘He had a sort of police mask on and goggles on. Then he shot at the church and fled towards Grodzka Street. Everyone was running away from there, people in horse-drawn carriages.’
Emergency and political response
The head of Poland’s fire service said the situation has demonstrated the ‘enormous responsibility’ responders take on each day.
‘Police officers, firefighters and emergency medical teams put their own lives and health at risk, standing where others must flee,’ said Brigadier General Andrzej Bartkowiak.
‘It is in moments like these that we see the true meaning of the words: service, courage and sacrifice.
‘I extend my special appreciation to the injured police officers.’
Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it a ‘tragic shooting’ and said he is being ‘kept informed by the Minister of the Interior’ of the investigation into its motive and circumstances, urging colleagues not to ‘exploit’ the incident.
Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz posted on X: ‘For us, the residents of Krakow and the Malopolska region, these are particularly difficult times.
‘I extend my deepest condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones.’
Polish President Karol Nawrocki added that he is ‘deeply concerned’ and called ‘the safety of Poles an absolute priority’.
Krakow’s mayor, Lukasz Gilbala, has signed an order to declare a period of mourning until Wednesday.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in a statement that he is ‘shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting’: ‘My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives, everyone injured and all those affected by this senseless violence.
‘The United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the people of Poland.’
Tom Rose, the US ambassador for Poland, further expressed solidarity in the aftermath of the ‘horrific’ shooting, describing it as a ‘savage and murderous attack that’s shattered the peace of Poland’.
He penned: ‘What we know so far is that several innocent precious lives were viciously cut down on a Saturday afternoon in Kraków’s historic and iconic central square.
‘America stands with Poland at this dark hour as Poland stands with her beloved citizens of Krakow. May the blessed memory of those lost today assuage the grief of those who mourn.’
Public shootings are rare in Poland due to gun laws being stricter than in other countries, such as the United States, and modern firearms requiring a police-issued permit based on a specific, documented reason.
‘Poland has a very low rate of gun ownership compared to other countries, even in Europe,’ he told Sky News. ‘Violent crime in general is rare.
‘In Poland, this kind of mass shooting is unheard of.’
Krakow is the second-largest city in Poland, and the historic Rynek Glowny is at the heart of the city’s Old Town.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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