Polish gunman who killed 6 people in Krakow has 'ultranationalistic' views, authorities say

KRAKOW, Poland (AP) — A Polish man with far-right views drove into a busy central square in Krakow on Saturday and opened fire, killing six people and injuring 15 others before police shot and wounded him, authorities said.

The attack, which Poland’s defense minister described as an “act of terror,” happened in Main Square, which is in the heart of Krakow’s Old Town and is a major tourist hub in the country’s second-largest city.

The 25-year-old attacker drove to multiple spots in the square and opened fire at each stop with an automatic weapon, authorities said. Although they didn’t release his name, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the man holds “very radical” and “ultranationalistic” views.

"Everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies,” Kierwiński said at a news conference.

Hours after the attack, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said authorities found the bodies of three of the suspect's close family members — two women and a man — inside of his home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, a city about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northeast of Krakow.

“We have the next acts of this tragedy,” Tusk told reporters.

Four women and two men were killed in the Krakow attack. At least three of the women were Polish, and one of the dead was a U.K. citizen, authorities said. Police were still trying to identify the other two people who were killed.

A total of 13 people were hospitalized in serious condition, authorities said, though that figure may include the gunman, who underwent surgery after the attack.

It’s unclear how many of the injured were shot. Two of them were treated and released within hours of the mass shooting. Two police officers were seriously injured, Kierwiński said. Five non-Poles were also injured, police commander Marek Boroń said.

People were wounded at several locations

The attacker wore military-style fatigues and a bulletproof vest, and used a military-type long gun, Krakow police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło said. Police found other weapons and ammunition in his car. He kept firing at the police even after being shot himself, she said.

The attacker engaged in a “wild ride” around Main Square, which is why people were wounded at several locations, said Cisło, adding that the gunman appears to have acted alone.

Krakow mayor Łukasz Gibała said the city will be in official mourning until Wednesday. He vowed that Krakow will remain open to visitors despite the tragedy.

“The square will belong to us again,” Gibała said in a video posted on X.

Mass shootings are rare in Poland

Videos posted on social media by witnesses show people running away from the square to take cover on small streets nearby, as well as first responders trying to resuscitate victims. In one video, a police officer is seen repeatedly shooting the attacker, who is lying on the street, only to later slowly collapse himself to the ground.

Photos showed a Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter after it landed in the square.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the gun used in the attack or those found in the attacker’s car are legal. Around 411,000 people hold gun permits in Poland, which has a population of 37 million, and interest in gun ownership has been rising.

Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland. However, in mid-October three attacks at schools in the central province of Mazovia took place within four days, leaving one person dead and many wounded, including children.

The Krakow attacker's military gear, guns and overall look were similar to those of other “extreme right lone actors” committing attacks around Europe, said Kacper Rekawek, a senior researcher at the International Center for Counterterrorism in The Hague. “We have had attempts before, but now we can say that these kinds of attacks have become successful in Poland.”