At least six people were killed and several others injured when a gunman suspected to have ties to the far-right opened fire in central Krakow, the second largest city in Poland. Three bodies were found at his home when it was searched by police. Here’s everything we know so far. The attack began shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) in Krakow’s Main Market Square, the bustling central point of the city.
Police said a man drove into the square before beginning to fire “at random people from his car”. Footage from the scene shows scenes of panic as people fled, with the sound of gunfire clearly heard. Follow live updates from Krakow A passing tram was shot at during the apparently random attack, shattering windows but no passengers were injured. Armed officers raced to the scene and engaged in a gunfight with the attacker, who was shot within three minutes of the attack beginning, preventing a further massacre, officials said.
The gunman was shot but is alive and has been arrested. Distressing footage authenticated by BBC Verify shows the moment a police officer confronts the suspect on the ground before firing his weapon several times. The officer then falls to the ground, apparently having been injured himself. Shop windows in the square have signs of damage, seemingly from bullets, with glass shards scattered along the floor.
City officials have urged people who live in the city and tourists to stay away from the area while an investigation continues. The suspect’s car, found at the intersection of Dietla and Stradomska streets, was checked for possible explosive devices, police said, but none were found. Residents of nearby buildings had been evacuated while the operation was under way. Six people – four women and two men – are confirmed to have been killed, including a British national.
Three victims are Polish and two have not been identified. Sixteen people, including five foreigners and the attacker, were taken to hospital. Among those being treated are two police officers who were shot while detaining the attacker. The interior ministry later said they were from Britain, Austria, Russia, Germany and Portugal.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk later named the injured officers as Senior Constable Jakub Kulik and Senior Constable Artur Morański. Tusk said three bodies – two women and one man – were found at the gunman’s house when it was searched after the attack. One of the police officers was described as being in a “very critical condition” by a Polish government minister after being shot three times while arresting the attacker. The officer is undergoing surgery, he added.
Polish authorities have not confirmed the names and ages of the other victims. Police have identified the attacker as a 25-year-old Polish man but have not confirmed his name. The suspect was wearing “military-style attire” and had a military-grade weapon, according to a police spokesperson. However, authorities have confirmed the attacker was not a soldier.
“Many pieces of weapons and ammunition were found in his vehicle”, the spokesperson added. Polish media has reported the suspect had a firearms permit and may have obtained the weapons from his family home. A minister has said early investigations indicate he was inspired by “far-right ideologies”. The minister also described him as an “ultra-nationalist” without giving further details.
His home is being searched with support from counter-terrorism police. The shooting happened in one of the largest medieval squares in Europe, a busy location which is also a popular tourist destination. Jonathan Balshaw from Ipswich was there with his Polish girlfriend Dominika. The couple were outside St Mary’s Basilica, in the corner of the square, when the shooting started.
Jonathan said: “We ran down the side of the church and through the side door and hid with several other people until the gunfire died down. “A lot of shots were fired, more than 20 with it sounding like multiple different firearms – there were two distinctly different noises.” Caitlin Shasby from Newcastle arrived in Krakow yesterday with her friend Jon for a long weekend. She said they heard shots from their hotel room but were not sure what was happening until their hotel rang them and told them to “stay in our rooms until further notice”. After travelling to Krakow, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said : “Until now in Poland we haven’t had such drastic cases of terrorism…that’s what we have to call this cruel attack on people’s lives here in Krakow.” Krakow Mayor Łukasz Gibała has signed an order declaring a period of mourning in the city which will last until Wednesday, 11 November.
US ambassador to Poland Tom Rose described it as a “savage and murderous attack”. The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said the shooting was “a tragedy that will be felt far beyond Poland”.
