Gun attack in Krakow: Suspected perpetrator initially killed parents and sister

dpa/afp | After the worst shooting incident in Poland in decades, with six dead and at least 15 others injured in the historic old town of Krakow, the country is mourning the victims. According to government information, three more bodies were found in the apartment of the suspect, who was apparently fascinated by “right-wing extremist ideologies.” Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it an act of “terrorism” and ordered two national days of mourning for Sunday and Monday. According to police, a man “raced a car into Krakow’s main market square” on Saturday afternoon and shot “indiscriminately at passers-by.”

It was a “horrible attack on the lives of people here in Krakow,” said Tusk in the city in southern Poland, which is also popular with tourists. The two women and a man found dead at home were probably family members of the perpetrator, said Tusk.

According to Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski, the suspected shooter, who wore military camouflage clothing, was “fascinated by right-wing extremist ideologies.” That’s what “everything” points to. At the same time, Kierwinski emphasized that this obviously still needs to be “verified”.

The police announced on the online service X that the dead in the market square were four women and two men. According to a police statement, police officers were among the injured. A police spokeswoman said on TVN24 that additional weapons and large amounts of ammunition were found in the car of the Pole, who was born in 2002.

According to Kierwinski, there are also foreigners among the victims in the old town. Of the six people who died, one person was a foreign national, the minister said during a visit to the crime scene. Five non-Poles were among the 16 people hospitalized. He did not provide any information about nationalities. Police chief Marek Boron, who put the number of injured at 15, said the dead included one Briton and three Poles; two people still had to be identified. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on X that he was “shocked and saddened by the horrific” act.

A reporter from the AFP news agency saw numerous ambulances and police cars in the city center, which is popular with tourists from all over the world, and helicopters flew over the crime scene. Krakow's main market was cordoned off over a large area.

“I saw one person who was dead,” and several others who were being resuscitated, an eyewitness said. “It is a tragedy for Krakow, we have never experienced anything like this,” said an eyewitness. The city, located in the south of the country, was once the capital of Poland. According to the city administration, 16.2 million visitors came last year.

In the afternoon, Tusk had written on

Tusk's opponent, the conservative-nationalist President Karol Nawrocki, told X that he was "extremely concerned" and was "in contact with the relevant authorities." He is waiting for a “full explanation of the circumstances of these dramatic events”. The safety of Poles is the “top priority”.

Numerous heads of state and government expressed their condolences. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) was “deeply affected” by X. He added: “Germany stands by Poland’s side as a friend and partner in these difficult times.” Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) also wrote there that Germany stands “in solidarity with Poland”.

The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke on X of a “tragedy”. “In this moment of grief, Poland is not alone,” she assured. The “impact” of this event “will be felt far beyond Poland’s borders.”

Gun attacks are rare in Poland. The country was on heightened alert after a series of knife attacks in October, which Tusk condemned at the time as part of a "cult of violence" that had spread across online networks.

EU and NATO member Poland shares a border with Ukraine, which has been resisting Russian attacks on its country for several years. It is perhaps against this background that the number of weapons in the country is continually increasing. According to the police, more than 50,000 new gun licenses were issued last year.

The police believe it was a lone perpetrator and denied reports of a search for a possible accomplice. Why the shooter opened fire in the early afternoon and what preceded his crime was still part of the investigation. According to initial findings, the man in his mid-twenties is said to have held “very radical views,” as Poland’s Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said in the evening. There are signs that he was fascinated by right-wing extremist ideologies, although this still needs to be further examined.

According to police, the perpetrator used a semi-automatic long gun, similar to an American AR-15 assault rifle. The Polish news agency PAP reported that, judging from photos, the weapon was equipped with a device for more precise firing. The perpetrator also had a pistol with him. Many more weapons and ammunition were found in his car, a police spokeswoman said.

The dimensions of violent crime only gradually became clear. Emergency services later went to the shooter's home, about a two-hour drive from Krakow. Because of the suspicion that there could be explosive devices there, a drone was used to take photos showing the three dead people. There were two women and a man, presumably the shooter's closest family members, said Prime Minister Tusk at a crisis team press conference.

Tusk did not provide any further information about the background. He emphasized that the police, security authorities and prosecutors would do everything possible to provide information about the shooter's motives as quickly as possible.

Several cab drivers were seriously injured in the shooting on Krakow's market square. "Many of our colleagues were injured. Two are fighting for their lives, several have suffered serious injuries," said the chairwoman of the Krakow Coachmen Association, Dorota Litwicka. The PAP news agency reported that several carriage horses suffered superficial injuries.

The market square with its Renaissance buildings is one of the tourist attractions in the southern Polish city. Guests visit the Cloth Hall with its souvenir stalls, the medieval St. Mary's Church, and meet at the monument to the Polish national poet Adam Mickiewicz. The popular carriage rides through the old town also begin on the square. There are many cafes and restaurants. On Saturday, passers-by were seeking shelter there when the shots were fired.

Mayor Łukasz Gibała announced that the city would officially mourn until Wednesday. Despite the attack, Krakow will remain open to visitors. In Warsaw, Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski announced additional security measures in the Old Town, including road closures.

Prime Minister Tusk praised the police operation. President Karol Nawrocki said his thoughts were with the victims, the injured and their families.

Krakow is the second largest city in Poland and is located in the south of the country, around 250 kilometers from the capital Warsaw. Every year around 15 million visitors come to Krakow. Many of them also visit the main market.

Politicians from many countries turned to Poland with condolences. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) wrote on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent her deepest condolences to the families of the victims on X. She thanked the police officers for their actions at the risk of their lives. Europe stands with Poland in mourning and solidarity.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj spoke of a “shocking crime”. He expressed his condolences to the victims' families on the X platform. “There is no justification for this attack and we trust that the perpetrator will be brought to justice,” he wrote. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) expressed his condolences and condolences in Polish to all the grieving relatives of the victims. F

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of “shock and emotion”. Condolences go out to Poland, the victims, their families and loved ones. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on X about a "cowardly and unacceptable act of violence" that had struck Krakow. “We will always defend our security and our freedom against all forms of terror and violence.”