Małopolska Police and MPK S.A. confirmed a Polish gunman opened fire at a popular tourist destination in Kraków on Saturday, killing six people and wounding at least fifteen more.
Of the six dead, four are women and two are men, according to Małopolska Police.
Shooting from a moving vehicle, the gunman allegedly targeted people at random, injuring civilians as well as police during the attack on Kraków’s bustling Main Square.
“Six people were killed and fifteen were injured in the incident in the Main Market Square, the Małopolska Provincial Office reported. The perpetrator of the attack was shot and detained by police officers. Rescue services are still working at the scene,” MPK S.A., the city’s municipal public transport company, wrote in a statement shared to X.
Video posted on social media showed people running while gunshots rang out.
Police shot and wounded the suspect during a gunfight and the area is now secured, according to authorities.
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The suspect, who has only been identified by police as a “citizen of the Republic of Poland,” was wearing military-style fatigues and used a military-style rifle to carry out the attack, Katarzyna Cisło, a spokesperson for the Kraków police, told Polish network TVN24.
Two women and one man found dead Saturday in the suspect’s home were likely family members, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, calling it the “next acts of this tragedy.”
Authorities also found numerous other weapons and ammunition in the suspect’s car, Cisło said.
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Małopolska Police released a statement Saturday afternoon denying reports that a police officer died and that another perpetrator is being sought.
“The only known perpetrator of the incident is in police custody,” officials said.
A public train driver reported around 3 p.m. local time that his vehicle had been shot by a man in a moving car, shattering his window.
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Police vehicles, ambulances, and a Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter surrounded the scene at Main Square, which is located in the country’s second-largest city.
Polish Police said in a statement on X, “in connection with the tragic incident that occurred in Kraków, National Police Commander Inspector General Marek Boroń is heading to the scene.”
Polish leaders reacted to the scene in a series of public statements on social media.
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“My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the tragic attack in Kraków. My highest praise for the heroic police officers who risked their lives. And a heartfelt appeal to politicians of all stripes: do not exploit this tragedy. We will establish all the circumstances of this crime,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote in a statement posted to X.
Tusk also assured the public that police are investigating the background and details of the attack.
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Poland’s president Karol Nawrocki also weighed in.
“I am deeply concerned by reports of the tragic events in central Kraków. My thoughts are with the victims, those injured and their families. I remain in contact with the relevant services and expect a full explanation of the circumstances surrounding these tragic events,” he wrote on X.
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Nawrocki also revealed that the head of Poland’s National Security Bureau is on his way to the city to investigate.
The United States Ambassador to Poland, Tom Rose, shared sympathies in a post on X.
“We are just learning details of the horrific mass shooting in Kraków, a savage and murderous attack that’s shattered the peace of Poland,” Rose wrote. “America stands with Poland at this dark hour as Poland stands with her beloved citizens of Kraków.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the shooting as “shocking,” in a statement on X, also extending condolences to the victims’ loved ones.
“There can be no justification for this attack, and we trust the perpetrator will face justice,” Zelenskyy wrote. “We wish strength and a speedy recovery to the injured and to everyone affected by this tragedy. Ukraine stands in solidarity with Poland and the Polish people. People have the right to safety.”
Kraków Mayor Łukasz Gibała declared a period of mourning through Nov. 11.
“Senior Constable Jakub Kulik and Senior Constable Artur Morański are true heroes,” Tusk said on X. “They likely saved many lives, without regard for the risk of losing their own. Their condition is serious, but they are receiving excellent care. All of Poland is rooting for you.”
Shootings are exceedingly rare in Poland, a country that ranks among the world’s lowest in gun-related deaths at 0.2 to 0.4 deaths per 100,000 residents, according to a study conducted by Medical University of Gdansk researchers.
The shooting comes amidst a constitutional crisis in Poland, pitting Tusk’s pro-European Union government and the national conservative opposition.
Nawrocki’s election to the presidency from the opposition has tumbled the nation’s Parliament into a deadlock, seeing the executive use his veto power to block the appointments of would-be tribunal leaders, resulting in a paralyzed Constitutional Tribunal
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
