The death toll has risen to six in a shooting carried out by an armed man in a busy square in Kraków, Poland, on Saturday afternoon, the 7th. Another 15 people were injured. The shooter, a 24-year-old Polish citizen, was shot during a confrontation with police and taken to hospital for surgery.
According to police, the man drove his car into Market Square, one of the city’s main tourist attractions, and fired at people indiscriminately. Four women and two men died. Two police officers were injured, one of them seriously.
Katarzyna Cislo, the Kraków police spokesperson, said that the assailant wore military-style clothing and a bulletproof vest, and carried a long military-type firearm. Other weapons and ammunition were found in the vehicle. Even after being shot, he continued firing at the police, according to the spokesperson.
The police stated that the man acted alone and that there is no risk to the public. The motive for the attack has not yet been clarified.
Images released on social media show people fleeing from the square and emergency crews tending to the victims. A medical rescue helicopter landed at the scene.
The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, praised the police’s response, while President Karol Nawrocki expressed solidarity with the victims and their families. After the attack, the Warsaw city hall announced increased security in the historic area of the capital, including the installation of barriers on the streets.
Mass shootings with multiple victims are uncommon in Poland. Kraków, the second largest city in the country, receives about 15 million tourists per year.
