At least six people were killed and fifteen injured in a shooting near the main market square in the southern Polish city of Krakow on Saturday.
The perpetrator, a Polish citizen who acted alone, was wounded during an exchange of fire with police, authorities said.
He has been taken to a hospital, police said.
Shooter aimed at random people, police say
According to Krakow police, the gunman aimed at random people as he drove by the city’s main square. Among the wounded are police officers.
“At around 3 pm (1400 GMT), a man who had driven into the market square in a car began shooting at random people from inside the vehicle,” police said on X.
“The perpetrator was shot by police officers and is currently being transported to a hospital,” police said.
Numerous weapons found in shooter’s car
According to Katarzyna Cisło, a spokesperson for the Krakow police, the shooter wore military-style fatigues and a bulletproof vest and used a long gun to inflict harm.
Numerous other weapons and ammunition were found in the gunman’s car.
Initially, authorities had asked people in the immediate vicinity to evacuate to a safe place.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk calls it a tragic incident
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted to X that police were investigating the attack and called it a “tragic” incident to have occurred.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki wrote on X that his thoughts were with the victims and wounded, as well as their families.
‘Poland does not stand alone,’ European politicians show support
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, called the shooting a tragedy that will be felt far beyond Poland, adding that “Poland does not stand alone.”
“I am deeply saddened by the events in Krakow. My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote on X, adding that “Germany stands alongside Poland as a friend and partner during these difficult times.”
Krakow is located about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Warsaw, the capital of Poland.
With a population of over 800,000, Krakow is Poland’s second-largest city, as well as a popular tourist destination. Key attractions include the main square, Wawel Castle, and the cathedral on Wawel Hill.
Source: www.dw.com
