Shooting in Kraków: Six dead on marketplace, gunman's family members killed
A 24-year-old Polish man opens fire on Kraków's famous marketplace and kills six people. Three further family members are later found dead in a residential building.
Shooting in Poland's tourist city
An armed man opened fire on the marketplace of Kraków's old town and shot indiscriminately at passers-by. Six people died in the attack, 16 others were wounded, including two police officers. Investigators are treating the act as terrorism.
The attacker, a 24-year-old Polish man, fired a semi-automatic rifle from a moving vehicle according to police. After the attack, he was involved in a collision, jumped from his car and shot at approaching officers, who returned fire and overpowered him. Several weapons and ammunition were seized in his vehicle.
According to sueddeutsche.de, there was considerable chaos at the scene. Eyewitnesses described people fleeing in panic and overturned tables. A witness told the television station Polsat News: "Suddenly a car arrived and a man started shooting from the car window." Footage of the incident spread rapidly on social media.
Among the six victims were four Poles, a Briton and an Austrian woman. Five further wounded came from Germany, Great Britain, Portugal, Austria and Russia. Police stated that several taxi drivers waiting for passengers on the square were also wounded.
The attacker reportedly held "very radical views" according to interior minister Marcin Kierwinski. There were signs of far-right extremist ideologies. The public prosecutor is investigating on grounds of terrorism, but has not identified an explicitly political motive.
A security expert criticised the lack of protective measures against vehicle attacks on the public square. As a result, several Polish cities announced checks at their marketplaces. Warsaw erected concrete barriers.
Three further victims were found in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, approximately two hours' drive north-east of Kraków: the father, mother and sister of the gunman. They had gunshot wounds. Investigators believe these deaths were committed by the same person.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said: "Until now we have not had such a drastic case of terrorism in Poland, for that is what this brutal attack on living people in Kraków must be called." The country was in nationwide mourning.
The historic Kraków trumpet signal "Hejnał", which sounds from the tower of St. Mary's Basilica on the hour, fell silent as a sign of mourning. According to media reports, it was the first interruption since 1939.
Police carried out their operations with "lightning-fast reaction" according to the interior minister: officers fired on the attacker within three minutes of the first emergency call. Two police officers who stopped the attacker and were seriously wounded in the process were celebrated as heroes.
Rescue workers initially did not dare enter the gunman's residential building because there was suspected explosive material. With the help of a drone, images were taken showing the three dead family members. According to media reports, the attacker owned a firearms licence, as did his father.
Source: Google News DE — Crime (de)