Shooting in Kraków: six dead in square, attacker arrested
A man in military uniform opened fire on a crowd in Kraków's Market Square, killing at least six people and wounding sixteen. The attacker, a Polish citizen, was arrested following a shoot-out with police; officers found three more bodies at his home.
Shooting in Kraków city centre
According to rainews.it, a young man in combat uniform opened fire on the crowd in Kraków's Market Square in the afternoon of Saturday. At least six people have been killed and sixteen wounded, including two police officers. The attacker, a Polish citizen who acted alone, was arrested following a shoot-out with police. He was wearing military-style clothing and wielding a long military-type weapon, probably a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle.
According to local police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło, officers opened fire on the suspect, who returned fire before being wounded and apprehended. The police report describes a chase: the suspect attempted to escape by car, collided with a white vehicle at the intersection with Dietla Street, got out of the vehicle and fired at pursuing officers. The officers returned fire, wounding and neutralising him. He was subsequently transported to hospital in Kraków.
Three bodies found in apartment
An even more tragic discovery emerged in the following hours. Police found three more bodies in the attacker's apartment: his father, aged 53, his mother, aged 52, and his sister, aged 20. This was stated by deputy inspector Andrzej Fijolek, spokesperson for the chief of Polish police, to the TVN24 channel. The victims bore gunshot wounds and are believed to have died from the same causes.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed the discovery via X, describing the situation as "a shocking crime for which there can be no justification". According to investigators, the attacker is fascinated by far-right ideologies.
In the man's car, police found a considerable quantity of firearms and ammunition. The attacker was seriously wounded in the shoot-out.
Italian students in square at time of shooting
At the moment of the attack, 34 students and three supervisors from the Ugo Foscolo classical lyceum in Albano Laziale, in the province of Rome, were in the Market Square. They were participating in a Journey of Memory, an educational programme dedicated to twentieth-century history with particular attention to the Holocaust, totalitarianism and the Resistance.
The students were secured by the Italian embassy, which sent the director of the Institute of Culture in Kraków and the honorary consul. None suffered injuries. The return to Italy is being managed by their travel agency; if necessary, separate groups will be organised with assistance from the Foreign Ministry.
According to what the young people told their schoolmates, the moment of the shooting was "terrifying" but everyone is well. "At the beginning, when my classmates and I heard the news coming from Kraków, we were very worried, then we heard from our friends and we were reassured," Amelia, representative of the Network of Students of the Castelli Romani who attends Foscolo, told ANSA. "They are in shock but they are well, it went very well, we were lucky".
Reactions and statements
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his condolences, describing what happened as "a shocking crime". Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, stated: "Europe stands with Poland in grief". Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the act as "vile and unacceptable".
Polish President Karol Nawrocki wrote on X: "My thoughts are with the victims, the wounded and their families. I remain in contact with the competent authorities and await a full clarification". He emphasised that "the safety of Poles is our absolute priority".
Tusk launched an appeal to politicians: "Do not exploit this tragedy. We will shed light on all the circumstances of this crime".
Identity of victims
According to Polish police chief Marek Boron, among the six dead there are four women and two men: three Polish women, a British citizen and two people not yet identified. A Russian citizen was wounded in the attack.
Source: Google News IT — Crime (it)