At least six dead as gunman opens fire in Polish city (GRAPHIC VIDEOS)
A gunman killed at least six people and wounded a number of others in Krakow, Poland on Saturday afternoon, according to local police.
The attacker opened fire on random people from a car in the city’s Main Market Square before being shot and arrested by police, according to an official statement. He was subsequently taken to the hospital.
Eyewitness videos circulating online appear to show the gunman firing at pedestrians from a moving black car, with a police vehicle following close behind.
Other footage shows people fleeing in panic as shots are heard in the background, while several motionless people lie on the ground.
Another video purportedly shows the suspect being apprehended by police, with an AR-15-style rifle lying nearby.
An emergency service helicopter has landed at the scene, and a rescue operation is underway.
The motive behind the attack remains unknown, as the authorities conduct an investigation, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X.
In a subsequent post, Tusk hailed what he described as the police officers’ heroism and called on “politicians of all stripes [not to] exploit this tragedy.”
“We will uncover all the circumstances surrounding this crime,” the Polish prime minister wrote.
According to an unconfirmed report by the RMF radio station, the suspect is a 25-year-old man wearing what resembles military fatigues.
Dziennik Zachodni quoted a spokesperson for the Krakow police as stating that the man “fired shots at the police, and the officers returned fire. We don’t know his identity. He was dressed in military clothing and was using a military-style weapon.”
The spokesperson reportedly stated that “there were a lot of weapons and ammunition in his car.”
In a post on X, the regional police refuted previous media reports that the suspect may have had an accomplice.
“The perpetrator of the incident in Krakow’s Main Market Square is a citizen of the Republic of Poland. We refute reports regarding the death of a police officer, as well as claims that another perpetrator is being sought. The only known perpetrator of the incident is in police custody,” the statement reads.
In an update on X on Saturday evening, the regional police reported that one of those injured in the shooting spree had succumbed to their wounds, bringing the total death toll to six – four men and two women.
According to local media, 15 people sustained injuries, with at least two police officers among them. One officer is understood to be in serious condition and is currently undergoing surgery.
