Krakow shooting kills six and shocks Poland

Six people were killed and 17 injured when a man opened fire on passers-by in Krakow’s main square on Saturday, leaving Poland in shock, ERR reported. Police wounded and arrested the attacker, who was also injured.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said investigators were examining whether the gunman had been influenced by far-right ideology. Police and the Internal Security Agency were working at the scene and at the suspect’s family home, he said.

The dead were four women and two men. One of the victims identified so far was a British citizen. The injured included two police officers and the attacker. Five injured foreign nationals were from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and the United Kingdom.

Spokespeople for the regional administration said the two injured officers were in stable condition after surgery. The attacker was also stable after several operations, but in critical condition. Justice Minister urged people to donate blood for one of the officers.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said three bodies, those of two women and a man, had been found at the suspect’s home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 200 kilometres north of Krakow. He said there were strong indications they were close relatives of the suspect. A drone was used to search the home because of possible security risks, and authorities believed it could contain a significant number of weapons.

Local media reported that residents were evacuated from the building where the suspect lived and that a counterterrorism unit entered it. Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, who coordinates the work of the security services, said the investigation was being supported by the Internal Security Agency and the Military Counterintelligence Service.

The attack has added to concerns following a series of knife attacks at Polish schools in October. Authorities said those incidents were linked to violent and extremist content circulating online.