Krakow, Poland, Nov 7 (EFE).- At least six people died, four women and two men, and 15 were injured Saturday when a gunman drove into Kraków’s main square and opened fire before being arrested, police said.
Police stated on X that the indiscriminate attack occurred around 3:00 pm local time, adding that officers opened fire on the man, who was wounded and taken to a hospital.
In footage broadcast by the PolSat network, a dark-colored Subaru can be seen speeding down Szewska Street, one of the pedestrian streets leading off Kraków’s main square, allegedly driven by the perpetrator of the attack.
After carrying out his attack near the iconic St. Mary’s Basilica, the man fled the scene in the car and, according to the PAP news agency, apparently collided with a white car.
He then got out of the vehicle and opened fire on the officers, but was later intercepted and arrested.
According to eyewitnesses, the attack was indiscriminate and targeted groups of tourists and passersby who were filling the city square’s outdoor seating areas, in a very crowded spot, especially on weekends.
Police said the suspect is Polish and denied a second one.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński, who is traveling to Kraków, indicated that among the injured are at least two police officers, one with one gunshot wound and the other with three, who is in “very serious” condition and is undergoing surgery.
The suspect, who is 24 years old, according to Cisło, was wearing military-style clothing, a bulletproof vest, and was armed with a military rifle loaded with “plenty” of ammunition and had a camera to record his actions.
According to the same source, a large quantity of other weapons and ammunition was found in his vehicle.
In the evening, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reporte three bodies, two women and one man, were found in the home of the shooter, adding that they were “likely immediate family members of the attacker
Polish President Karol Nawrocki expressed his “deep concern” over “the tragic events that took place in downtown Kraków” and said his thoughts were with the victims, the injured, and their families.
The head of state said that the head of the National Security Bureau is also on his way to Kraków and that he hopes “the circumstances of these dramatic events will be fully clarified.”
Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz assured that “all the circumstances and motives behind this incident will be thoroughly investigated.” EFE
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