Poland entered two days of national mourning on Sunday following a mass shooting in Krakow’s historic Old Town that left six people dead and 15 others wounded.
The 24-year-old Polish suspect opened fire in the Main Square, a bustling tourist hub in the heart of the city, cbsnews.com reported. Defense Minister Marcin Kierwiński described the incident as an act of terror.
Four women and two men died in the square. Malopolska regional governor Krzysztof Jan Klęczar stated that three of the women and one man were Polish, alongside a British male citizen and a female foreign national whose identity has not yet been detailed.
Police officers discovered the bodies of the gunman’s mother, father, and sister at their residence in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, located approximately 93 miles northeast of Krakow. Authorities reported that all three likely suffered fatal gunshot wounds.
Interior Minister Kierwiński stated that the suspect maintained very radical, ultranationalist views and was fascinated by far-right ideologies.
Local officials in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski seized seven firearms from the suspect’s family home, complementing four weapons recovered from the gunman in Krakow or his vehicle. Governor Klęczar noted that the attacker’s father legally owned more than 10 guns, and the suspect also possessed firearms.
Two police officers intervened to halt the gunman, sustaining severe injuries in the process. Klęczar reported that one officer remains in a coma while the other has regained consciousness, prompting local authorities to issue an urgent appeal for blood donations.
The suspected gunman remains hospitalized in critical condition after undergoing multiple surgeries. Meanwhile, nationalist opposition politicians questioned the government’s assertions regarding a far-right motive, with PiS deputy head Przemysław Czarnek demanding immediate clarifications on the intelligence behind the interior minister’s statements, according to usnews.com reporting.
Footage shows a black car passing through a market area as gunshots ring out and people run for cover, amid reports of five people killed in a shooting in central Krakow, Poland. pic.twitter.com/Pf3dW31NZP
The Main Square remained partially closed on Sunday as forensic teams continued their fieldwork. St. Mary’s Trumpet Call—a traditional five-note melody played hourly from the basilica’s highest tower—was silenced overnight for the first time since World War II in tribute to the victims.
Mass shootings remain rare in Poland, though the nation recently experienced a cluster of school knife attacks in the Mazovia province during October. Security measures were heightened across Warsaw and Krakow as investigators examine how the violence might affect other areas.
Earlier coverage: Six Killed and 15 Injured in Far-Right Terror Attack in Krakow, Poland
