Shooting in Kraków leaves six dead and Portuguese woman wounded; Poland opens terrorism inquiry
A 24-year-old man opened fire on the crowd in central Kraków, killing six people and wounding 16, including a 74-year-old Portuguese citizen.
Poland investigates Kraków attack as terrorist act following six deaths
The Polish Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation on Sunday into an act of "terrorist character" following the shooting which, on Saturday, caused six deaths and 16 wounded in the centre of Kraków, according to dn.pt. Among the wounded is a 74-year-old Portuguese citizen, originally from northern Portugal.
The investigation covers, according to the Public Prosecutor's statement, the homicide of the six people in the city's central square — classified as an offence of terrorist nature — and the death of three family members of the alleged shooter at his residence in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a town situated approximately two hours from Kraków. Police identified the victims found in that dwelling as the suspect's father, aged 53, mother, aged 52, and sister, aged 21. The authorities did not disclose details about what may have occurred at the residence or about any possible connection with the attack in Kraków.
The perpetrator of the shooting is a Polish citizen, aged 24, who opened fire on the crowd from a vehicle and was shot by police while attempting to flee. Poland's Interior Minister, Marcin Kierwiński, stated at a press conference that the suspect holds "very radical positions and is fascinated by far-right ideologies". Having undergone several surgical procedures during the night of Saturday to Sunday, the man remains in a critical condition.
The Portuguese citizen hit by the gunfire was 74 years old and was in Kraków to visit her granddaughter, a student on the Erasmus programme in that city. Portugal's Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities, Emídio Sousa, confirmed the information on Saturday and stated that the woman had already undergone surgery. Despite the seriousness of her injuries, Sousa said that the victim "would no longer be at risk of death".
Of the 16 people wounded, 11 are Polish citizens and five are foreign nationals, including, in addition to the Portuguese woman, a Russian citizen. The health condition of 14 wounded is considered stable, whilst one remains in a serious condition. Among the wounded are also two police officers who took part in the operation to detain the suspect.
The six fatalities are four women and two men, aged between 32 and 61. Four were Polish citizens, one was British, and the nationality of the sixth victim was not specified by the authorities.
The attack occurred on Saturday afternoon, when the suspect drove a vehicle into one of Kraków's busiest and most touristy areas and fired indiscriminately at the people present in the location.
The mayor of Kraków, Lukasz Gibala, declared municipal mourning until Wednesday. Polish President Karol Nawrocki declared national mourning for two days.
Source: Google News PT — Crime (pt)