Poland mourns Krakow shooting victims as terrorism probe launched
The attack, which Poland's defense minister described as an "act of terror," happened in Main Square, a major tourist hub in the heart of Krakow's Old Town.
Key points
- A 24-year-old Polish man with far-right views opened fire in Krakow's Main Square, killing six and wounding 15.
- Prosecutors opened a murder investigation treating the act as a terrorist offense.
- Police shot and wounded the suspect; two officers who stopped him remain in hospital.
Poland began two days of national mourning on Sunday after a gunman opened fire in Krakow's Main Square, killing six people and wounding 15 others. The attack happened on Saturday in the busy tourist hub in the city's Old Town. Poland's defense minister described it as an "act of terror."
The alleged shooter, a 24-year-old Polish man, was shot and wounded by police. Prosecutors said Sunday they had started an investigation for murder and attempted murder of numerous people, including police officers, with the act constituting a terrorist offense.
The victims and the suspect
Four women and two men were killed. Malopolska regional governor Krzysztof Jan Klęczar said three of the women and one of the men were Polish, and that a man from the U.K. and a woman from an unidentified foreign country were also among the dead.
The bodies of the assailant's sister, mother and father were found at his house in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 93 miles northeast of Krakow. Authorities said they likely died from gunshot wounds. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the suspect holds "very radical" and "ultranationalistic" views, adding that everything indicates he was fascinated by far-right ideologies.
If it weren't for the efficient and selfless intervention of these two young men, the number of victims could have been significantly higher
— Krzysztof Jan Klęczar
Officers hailed as heroic
The two police officers who stopped the gunman remain in hospital. Klęczar said one is still in a coma while the other has woken from one, and officials launched an appeal for blood donations for the most seriously wounded officer.
Klęczar said the assailant's father owned over 10 guns legally and the attacker also owned guns. Local officials in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski said seven weapons were seized from the family home, bringing the total recovered to 11, including four found with the man in Krakow or in his car. The suspect is in critical condition after multiple surgeries.
Mourning in the city
The square remained partially closed on Sunday morning as authorities continued their investigation. St. Mary's Trumpet Call, played every hour from St. Mary's Basilica, was paused overnight in tribute, the first time it has been missed since World War II. European flags flew at half-mast outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.
