A gunman suspected of being influenced by far-right ideology opened fire in a crowded square in Poland’s southern city of Krakow, killing six people before police shot and arrested him. Three more bodies were subsequently discovered at his residence, officials said on Saturday.
The shooting unfolded in the historic main market square, one of the country’s biggest tourist attractions, leaving bodies and bloodstains across the area. The incident has sent shockwaves through Poland, which has traditionally considered itself safer than several Western European countries that have experienced similar attacks.
The suspect, a 24-year-old Polish national, allegedly fired randomly at people from a car at around 3 pm (local time) before police intervened. Authorities said a British citizen was among those killed, while five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain were injured.
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said investigators were examining the possibility that the attacker had been influenced by far-right ideology.
“Everything points to the fact that the shooter was influenced by far-right ideology, a matter that will also be subject to investigation,” Kierwinski told a news briefing.
“Police officers are on-site, as are agents from the Internal Security Agency, both here at the scene and at the individual’s family home,” he added.
Authorities said the six people killed in the square comprised four women and two men. Two police officers were also injured during the incident.
THREE MORE BODIES FOUND AT SUSPECT’S RESIDENCE
The investigation took a further turn after authorities discovered three bodies at the suspect’s home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, nearly 200 kilometres north of Krakow.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a crisis meeting that the bodies belonged to two women and a man, adding that investigators suspected they were members of the gunman’s immediate family.
“There are strong indications that they are members of his immediate family,” Tusk said.
He also revealed that security agencies had deployed a drone to inspect the property because of concerns about possible threats inside.
“We know that a significant amount of weaponry may be inside the house,” he said.
Local media reported that residents of the building had been evacuated before counterterrorism officers entered the premises.
Tomasz Siemoniak, the minister coordinating Poland’s special services, said the Internal Security Agency (ABW) and Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) were assisting investigators.
GUNMAN CARRIED MILITARY-STYLE WEAPONS
Police spokesperson Katarzyna Cislo said the attacker was dressed in military-style clothing and had access to several weapons.
“The shooter was wearing military-like clothes and used military weapons. Many … weapons and ammunition were found in his vehicle too,” she said.
Police spokesperson Andrzej Fijolek told broadcaster TVN 24 that the suspect had used an AR-15 rifle and possessed a firearms licence.
Police identified him as a 24-year-old Polish citizen and confirmed that he was in custody.
“The only known perpetrator of the incident is in police custody,” police said in a post on X, without disclosing a definitive motive.
Investigators said they began receiving emergency calls around 3 pm reporting that a man was firing from a vehicle and shooting at people in the square.
Unverified videos circulating on social media showed people running for cover as gunshots rang out and police sirens sounded. Other footage appeared to show injured people lying on the bloodstained pavement, with bystanders attempting to revive them.
A witness identified only as Konrad told news website Interia that he saw the attacker firing from the driver’s side of a vehicle.
“I saw shots being fired from the driver’s side window, and smoke was coming out. I ran to the police station in the main market square; when I burst inside, it was full of people hiding on the floor,” he said.
Another witness, a 67-year-old man identified as Julek, told Reuters that a dark-coloured car suddenly appeared before its driver opened fire at a group of people and drove away.
“If we had been two minutes earlier, we might have been shot,” he said.
The historic square, lined with restaurants and cafes and frequented by tourists taking horse-drawn carriage rides, was thrown into panic as people scrambled to find shelter.
POLICE PRAISED FOR PREVENTING BIGGER MASSACRE
Kierwinski praised the officers who confronted the gunman, saying their swift response had prevented further casualties.
“The police prevented a much larger massacre that could have otherwise occurred,” he said.
“They fired shots at the attacker just three minutes after receiving the report.”
The office of President Karol Nawrocki said the country would observe national mourning on November 8 and 9.
“My thoughts are with the victims, those injured, and their families,” Nawrocki wrote on X.
Condolences also poured in from across Europe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the shooting as “shocking” and expressed solidarity with the victims’ families.
“On behalf of the Ukrainian people, and personally, I extend my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims,” he wrote on X.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the incident “a tragedy that will be felt far beyond Poland.”
The shooting comes amid growing concerns in Poland over violent incidents and extremist content online. A series of school stabbings in October had already raised alarm among authorities, who said online violent and extremist material had influenced some of those attacks.
– Ends
With inputs from Reuters
Source: www.indiatoday.in
