Shooting in Kraków: six dead, gunman fascinated by far-right ideology
A 24-year-old man opened fire on passers-by in Market Square in Kraków, killing six people and wounding fifteen. Poland is observing two days of national mourning.
Six dead following shooting in the heart of Kraków
Poland is facing the worst mass shooting it has experienced in decades. On Saturday 7 November, at around 3 p.m., a man drove a car into the famous Market Square in Kraków before opening fire "at random" on passers-by, according to a spokesman for the local police, reported rtl.fr. Result: six dead and around fifteen wounded.
The perpetrator, identified by the Polish press as Michal O., is a 24-year-old Pole. Amateur footage broadcast on social media shows a police officer firing repeatedly at close range at a man wearing military attire, masked and helmeted, armed with a semi-automatic AR15 rifle. The gunman was neutralised, seriously injured, and then operated on; he was still in a critical condition on Sunday morning, according to a police spokesperson.
Four women and two men killed, including a British national
Among the six victims who died are four women and two men. One of them was a British national. Fifteen people were hospitalised, including five foreigners — of British, Portuguese, Russian, German and Austrian nationality — as well as ten Polish citizens. Their health improved slightly during the night from Saturday to Sunday, but not all are yet out of danger, a police spokesperson cited by Polish media specified.
Daniel Wolny, a 32-year-old musician, testified to the AFP: "I saw bodies lying behind me. I saw a dead person, who was not moving, and several people lying a little further away, whom others were still trying to resuscitate."
His family found dead at his home
Michal O. lived with his parents and sister in an apartment in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, a medium-sized town two hours' drive from Kraków. Police discovered their bodies at the scene. "We found the bodies of three people: a 53-year-old man and two women aged 52 and 21. These are the parents and sister of the perpetrator," states a police statement dated Sunday. The bodies bore gunshot wounds. Seven firearms were seized in the apartment. Additional weapons and a large quantity of ammunition were also discovered in the suspect's vehicle, specified Katarzyna Cisło, of Kraków police.
According to investigators cited in the Polish press, Michal O. had no criminal record. He was a member of a shooting club, as was his father.
Ideological profile: "fascinated by far-right"
The Interior Minister, Marcin Kierwiński, stated that "all indications suggest he held very, very radical opinions". "Everything suggests he was fascinated by far-right ideologies. Although this will still need to be verified," he added.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the act as an "atrocious attack" at a press conference: "In Poland, we have not experienced cases of terrorism this radical, because this is indeed what we must call this act committed here in Kraków." President Karol Nawrocki expressed his "immense concern" and recalled that "the security of Poles is an absolute priority".
International reactions and national mourning
The head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, deplored a "tragedy" and stated on X that the repercussions of the event "will be felt far beyond Poland's borders". French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Italian Government Head Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also published messages of support for Warsaw.
Poland is observing two days of national mourning, Sunday and Monday. "We will certainly all go through these difficult times together," said Donald Tusk.
Source: Google News MA — Crime (fr)