Perpetrator of Cracow massacre dies in hospital: six victims in central square
A 24-year-old man killed six people in central Cracow after shooting his parents and sister. He died in hospital from wounds sustained.
Cracow attacker dies in hospital. Former classmates: he drew gruesome sketches during lessons
The 24-year-old man who opened fire on Saturday in Cracow's central square, killing six people, died in hospital shortly after 4:30 a.m., according to ProTV News. He had been shot by police in less than three minutes from the beginning of the attack.
Before reaching the city centre, the attacker killed his parents and his 21-year-old sister at the family home, located approximately 150 kilometres from Cracow. Authorities had received no reports of gunfire from that apartment.
Two surgeons intervened immediately on the scene
Two doctors from Cracow University Hospital were with their families at a restaurant in the Central Square when the shooting broke out. Michal Pedziwiatr, head of the Second Surgery Department at Jagiellone University, stated: "It was a matter of seconds. I heard gunfire. My son drew our attention to the fact that over there, in the distance, people were shooting at each other and falling to the ground."
His colleague, Dr Mateusz Wierdak, a general surgeon, described how he took over coordination of the rescue operation: "The police acted very professionally. As soon as I presented myself as a surgeon specialising in trauma, they entrusted us with coordinating the intervention. They focused on securing the perimeter."
A Romanian woman from Cracow: "God worked such that I was not here"
Alina Petre, wife of former footballer Florentin Petre, lives in Cracow and revealed that on Saturday she no longer made it to the church in the attack zone. "I realised what danger I could have been in. On Saturday, around 2–3 p.m. local time, I should have been somewhere in the centre — there is an old rite Orthodox Christian church that I visit. There was a possibility I could be a witness, be in the area, hear. God worked such that I was not here," she said.
Six dead, including a British national and an Austrian
Among the six confirmed victims — four women and two men — is a British national and an Austrian national. The attacker drove a car into the central square and opened fire before being neutralised by law enforcement.
Chief Commissioner Andrzej Fijolek, from Poland's National Police General Inspectorate, explained that the events had two components: "The first was the incident that occurred in the perpetrator's apartment, about which we had no knowledge. None of the people there heard any quarrel or gunfire. Then followed the Cracow massacre, when the perpetrator drove a car into the central square and started shooting."
Gruesome drawings and multiple weapons found
Former schoolmates of the attacker said he made gruesome drawings during lessons and showed interest in religion. Several weapons and significant quantities of ammunition were discovered in his residence and in the car from which he fired. Both he and his father held firearms permits.
The identity of the attacker was not officially revealed. Polish authorities initially stated that the man appeared to be inspired by "far-right ideologies", but later clarified that they were investigating all possible motives.
Fijolek warned that a complete reconstruction of the circumstances would be difficult: "Given that the attacker is dead and there are no direct witnesses to the events that occurred in his home, establishing the truth could prove a challenge."
Authorities did not confirm the killer's membership in any paramilitary group or sports shooting organisation.
Source: Știrile ProTV