Attack in Kraków: 24-year-old shoots nine people, terrorism being investigated
A 24-year-old Pole opens fire on Kraków's market square and kills six people. Three additional victims are found in another city. The prosecutor's office is investigating on terrorism charges.
Massacre in Poland's tourist metropolis — nine dead, several injured
A 24-year-old Pole opened fire on the busy market square of Kraków on Saturday and shot six people dead. According to n-tv, three additional victims were found in the city of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski — investigators believe the same person is responsible for these killings as well. The Polish prosecutor's office is investigating on terrorism charges. Prime Minister Donald Tusk ordered two national days of mourning and described the attack as the "most drastic case of terrorism" in Polish history.
The perpetrator, identified by media as Micha O., fired randomly at passers-by from a vehicle. After fleeing, he abandoned the car at an intersection and opened fire on emergency responders, who subsequently inflicted life-threatening injuries on him. Two police officers were hit, one of them seriously. The Interior Ministry stated that his condition is stable; he requires the rare blood type AB Rh positive. Blood donations have been requested nationwide.
The attacker's motive remains unclear. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński stated that the 24-year-old held "very radical views". There are indications of a fascination with far-right ideologies that require further investigation. Investigators point to no explicit political motive and believe the perpetrator acted alone.
Of the six victims at the market square, four were from Poland, one from the United Kingdom, and one woman was of foreign origin. The dead were aged between 32 and 61 years old. Among those seriously injured were several operators of tourist sightseeing carriages. The chairwoman of the carriage operators' association, Dorota Litwicka, said: "Two are fighting for their lives." Several horses sustained minor injuries.
Five additional injured persons come from Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Austria and Russia. The German Foreign Office confirmed that one person with German citizenship was injured.
The main market square with its Renaissance buildings is a major attraction for tourists worldwide. On Sunday morning, the site remained cordoned off. Mourners lit candles and laid flowers. The city was decorated with black flags and Polish national flags with mourning ribbons.
Source: n-tv