Politics
Krakow Main Square Shooting: Six Dead, 15 Wounded; Police Wound Suspect
A 24-year-old Polish citizen opened fire on random people in Krakow's Main Square on Saturday, killing six and wounding 15 before police shot and wounded him in a gunfight. Two officers were among the wounded, one seriously.
KRAKOW, Poland â A gunman drove into this city's bustling Main Square on Saturday afternoon and opened fire on random people, killing six and wounding 15 before police shot and wounded him in a gunfight a short distance away, authorities said.
The suspect, a 24-year-old Polish citizen, was wearing military-style fatigues and a bulletproof vest and used a military-type long gun, said Katarzyna CisÅo, a spokesperson for the Krakow police. Officers found numerous other weapons and ammunition in his car. Even after being shot, CisÅo said, he continued firing at police. He was taken to a hospital for surgery.
Four women and two men were killed, police said. Two police officers were wounded, one seriously, according to Poland's interior minister. The death toll initially stood at five before police updated it to six.
CisÅo described the attacker's movements as a "wild ride" around the square, which is why people were wounded at several locations. Videos posted on social media by witnesses showed people fleeing the square and taking cover on nearby side streets. CisÅo said the gunman acted alone and that the public is safe.
A tram driver reported around 3 p.m. that his vehicle was shot at from a man in a moving car near the main square, according to the Krakow municipal transport company. The window of the driver's cabin was shattered.
Images from the scene showed police officers and ambulances blanketing the area, and a Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter landed in the square.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the police officers who responded to the tragedy in a post on X. President Karol Nawrocki said his thoughts were with the victims, the wounded and their families.
It was not immediately clear whether the firearm used in the attack or the guns found in the suspect's car were legal. About 411,000 people hold gun permits in Poland, a country of 37 million, and interest in gun ownership has been rising.
Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland. In mid-October, three attacks at schools in the central province of Mazovia occurred within four days, leaving one person dead and many wounded, including children.
Krakow, Poland's second-largest city, draws roughly 15 million tourists a year, most of whom pass through the Main Square, a major destination in the city center.