‘Horrific mass shooting’ in Krakow after gunman kills five in Polish hotspot
The shooting occurred in Krakow’s Main Square on Saturday afternoon at around 3pm local time
A gunman killed five people and wounded more than a dozen when he opened fire in Krakow's busy Main Square on Saturday afternoon, police said.
The gunman aimed at random people as he drove into the square in the centre of the city, which is a major tourist destination, Krakow police said. Police officers are among those wounded.
The perpetrator was shot and wounded during a gunfight with officers a short distance away from the initial violence, police said.
Katarzyna Cisło, a spokesperson for the Krakow police, told TVN24 that the perpetrator was wearing military-style fatigues and he used a military-type long gun in the attack.
Police found many pieces of other weapons, as well as ammunition, in his car.
Cisło added that the gunman acted alone and that the public is safe. Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland.
A tram driver reported around 3pm that his vehicle was shot at from a man in a moving car while passing nearby the main square, the Krakow municipal transport company said. The window to the tram driver's cabin was shattered.
Images from the scene showed police officers and ambulances covering the area, which is in the centre of Krakow. A Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter also landed in the square.
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said in a statement on social media: “The police are investigating the background and all the circumstances of the attack.”
Polish president Karol Nawrocki added that his thoughts were with the victims, the wounded and their families.
“We are just learning details of the horrific mass shooting in Krakow, a savage and murderous attack that’s shattered the peace of Poland,” Tom Rose, the U.S. ambassador to Poland, wrote on X. “America stands with Poland at this dark hour as Poland stands with her beloved citizens of Krakow.”
Around 15 million tourists visit Krakow annually, the majority passing through the Main Square.
Krakow is the second-largest city in Poland and roughly 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the capital, Warsaw.