Kraków attack: motive discovered as three family members of 24-year-old attacker found dead at his home
Polish police have found the parents and sister of the 24-year-old gunman at his residence, all shot dead. The total death toll from Saturday's attack has risen to nine, with nine others wounded.
Discovery: three dead at attacker's home
According to Il Fatto Quotidiano - Cronaca, investigators discovered the bodies of the 53-year-old father, 52-year-old mother and 20-year-old sister of the 24-year-old Kraków attacker at his residence. All were killed by gunfire, according to confirmation from Polish police. The discovery brings the death toll from the attack to nine.
The attack in Market Square
The gunman opened fire on Saturday afternoon around 15:00 in Rynek Główny, the medieval square in the city centre. Armed with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, he fired on pedestrians from his black Subaru without registration plates. He killed six people in the square — five Poles and one Briton — and wounded another 16, including five foreigners from the United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, Germany and Austria.
Police response and critically wounded
Two police officers, Jakub Kulik and Artur Morański, were hit during the exchange of gunfire and remain in critical condition. Kulik, struck by three bullets with one lung compromised, is fighting for his life. Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek issued an urgent appeal for blood donations, stating that "without their intervention the toll would have been unimaginable".
Far-right extremism hypothesis and investigation
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński stated that the attacker was "fascinated by far-right ideologies" with "very radical" and "ultranationalist" positions. Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the shooting as an "act of terrorism", but specified that "much still needs to be verified" and urged against reaching conclusions prematurely.
National mourning
Poland observes two days of national mourning with flags at half-mast and cancellation of public events. Condolences have been received from Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano - Cronaca