Polish authorities said six people were killed and 16 others injured in a shooting on Tuesday afternoon. The attack took place shortly after 3 pm local time near the Main Market Square in Krakow.
Interior Minister Kierwinski told a news conference that police officers opened fire on the suspect just three minutes after receiving the initial emergency report. Police shot the suspect, who is in serious condition and undergoing a second surgery.
Kierwinski confirmed the death toll includes six victims, among them one foreign national, alongside 16 injured individuals. The wounded group includes five foreign nationals, two police officers, and the suspect himself.
Police chief Marek Boron provided details regarding the fatalities. Boron stated that three of the dead victims are Polish citizens and one is a British national. Authorities are working to establish the identities of the remaining two deceased individuals.
According to preliminary findings outlined by Kierwinski, investigators believe the attacker may have been influenced by far-right ideologies and held ultranationalist views. He added that these early indications have not yet been fully verified.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that police searching the suspect’s home discovered three additional bodies, consisting of two women and one man. These individuals appeared to be close family members of the attacker.
Investigators are examining the suspect’s vehicle due to concerns that it might contain explosives. Tusk stated that authorities would swiftly identify and detain any potential accomplices linked to the violence.
Authorities are investigating whether the firearms used in the attack originated from the suspect’s family home. Police continued their search operations at the property.
Broadcaster RMF FM reported that attackers traveling in a vehicle along Sławkowska Street toward the main square fired at people. Emergency services rushed to the scene, deploying an air ambulance helicopter that landed directly in the square.
Witnesses at the location reported hearing approximately 20 shots fired during the incident.
