KRAKOW, Poland — Six people were killed in the Krakow shooting Saturday after a gunman opened fire from a car in the city’s historic Main Market Square, police said. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said 16 people were injured, including the suspect and two police officers.
Police said the gunman fired at people at random shortly after 3 p.m. near Sławkowska Street, on the edge of the square. Four women and two men were killed. Kierwiński said authorities had identified four of those killed, including one foreign national.
Officers shot and detained the suspect near the intersection of Dietla and Stradomska streets. He was taken to a hospital for surgery. Kierwiński said one of the officers was seriously injured after being shot three times.
Krakow’s transit operator said shots fired from a moving car also struck a tram at nearby All Saints’ Square, shattering a window in the driver’s cab. The driver and passengers escaped injury, according to the city’s official update.
Police recover firearms after Krakow shooting
Kierwiński said the suspect appeared to have acted alone. Police found additional firearms and ammunition in the car, and investigators were also searching the suspect’s home.
The interior minister said an initial assessment suggested the suspect was drawn to far-right ideology and held ultranationalist views. He said those findings still needed to be verified. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz described the shooting as an “act of terror.” Investigators were still working to establish a motive.
Authorities closed Main Market Square and adjoining streets as police and prosecutors gathered evidence. Police asked witnesses to contact their nearest police station.
Krakow cancels city events during four days of mourning
Mayor Łukasz Gibała declared four days of mourning, from Sunday through Wednesday, Nov. 11. Krakow canceled city-organized events during that period and ordered flags at municipal buildings to be flown at half-staff or draped in black.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki offered condolences to the victims’ families and began the formal process of declaring two days of national mourning, his spokesperson said. The draft order would cover Nov. 8 and 9 and was to be sent to Prime Minister Donald Tusk for his signature.
