"Far-Right-Influenced Polish Man Opens Fire in Heart of City"

Six dead, 16 injured... Scene of "utter chaos"
Three more bodies found at suspect's home

A man drove through the heart of the Old Town in Krakow, one of Poland's leading tourist destinations, firing indiscriminately at pedestrians from his vehicle.

Police and emergency responders near the scene of a fatal shooting in Krakow. Photo by AFP-Yonhap News Agency

According to major foreign news outlets, including the Associated Press, at around 3 p.m. on the 7th local time, a Polish man in his twenties wearing tactical clothing drove into Main Market Square in Krakow, southern Poland, and opened fire on pedestrians. The square was crowded with residents and tourists for the weekend. Local police responded immediately after receiving reports from witnesses, and the first patrol began responding 23 seconds after the initial report. About three minutes later, officers exchanged fire with the suspect and subdued him. The suspect continued firing for some time even after being shot by police.

Six people were killed in the shooting: four women and two men. One of the victims was confirmed to be a British national. The 16 people taken to hospital with injuries included police officers. One person was in critical condition after being hit by three bullets. Among the injured were foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and the United Kingdom. The suspect was also taken to hospital for surgery. Tram No. 1, which was passing near the square, was hit by gunfire, shattering the driver's-side window. No one on the tram was injured or killed.

The suspect was wearing tactical clothing resembling a military uniform and a bulletproof vest, and reportedly used an AR-15-style rifle. Additional firearms and a large quantity of ammunition were also found in his car. He held a license to possess firearms for sporting purposes.

Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz condemned the shooting as an "act of terrorism" and denied reports that the suspect was a member of the Polish military.

People wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) gather outside the apartment building where the gunman who killed several people in the southern Polish city of Krakow lived. The building is in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, Poland. Reuters-Yonhap News

No prior criminal record for the suspect has been confirmed, but three more bodies were found at his home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, where he lived. The town is about 150-200 km from Krakow. Authorities have yet to identify the victims or determine the exact circumstances of their deaths, but believe they were likely close family members of the suspect.

The motive for the attack also remains unclear. However, Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said there were indications that the suspect had been influenced by far-right and extremist nationalist ideologies. Authorities are focusing on the possibility that he acted alone and are analyzing his phone and online activity.

Mass shootings on this scale are extremely rare in Poland. The shock was all the greater because Krakow's Main Market Square is in the historic city center, which is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of Poland's leading tourist attractions, drawing large numbers of foreign visitors every year. The city of Krakow declared a period of mourning through the 11th. The Polish government also designated the 8th and 9th as national days of mourning. Security was stepped up in major cities, including the capital, Warsaw, amid concerns about possible further attacks.

Key questions surrounding the case include how the six deaths in the square are connected to the three bodies found at the suspect's home, and whether there were any additional victims.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.