Poland Mourns Rare Mass Killing as Authorities Cite Attacker’s Far-Right Views

KRAKOW – Poland entered two days of national mourning on Sunday after a 24-year-old man with far-right views drove into Krakow’s busy Main Square and opened fire. Six people were killed and 15 others injured before police shot and wounded the suspect.

Poland’s defense minister called the Saturday attack an “act of terror.” It took place in the heart of Krakow’s Old Town, a major tourist destination in the country’s second-largest city.

By Sunday evening, mourners had placed candles in the square to honor the victims. Part of Main Square remained closed Sunday morning as investigators continued gathering evidence.

Police also discovered three bodies at the suspect’s family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northeast of Krakow. Authorities said Sunday that the dead were the attacker’s sister, mother and father.

The family members appear to have died from gunshot wounds, police said.

Four women and two men died in the Main Square shooting. Authorities said at least three of the women were Polish, while one of those killed was a U.K. citizen.

The two police officers who confronted the gunman and were praised for their bravery are still hospitalized. One remains in critical condition, leading officials to appeal for blood donations.

Five foreign nationals were among the wounded. They are citizens of the U.K., Portugal, Russia, Germany and Austria.

Authorities initially gave conflicting information about the shooter’s age, identifying him first as 24 and later as 25. Officials confirmed Sunday that he is 24.

The mass shooting is a grim first for Poland

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the suspect held “very radical” and “ultranationalistic” views.

“Everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies,” Kierwiński said during a news conference.

Witnesses posted videos on social media showing people fleeing Main Square and seeking shelter in nearby narrow streets. Other footage captured first responders attempting to revive victims. In one video, an officer repeatedly shoots the attacker as he lies on the street; the officer later appears to slowly collapse himself.

Mass shootings are rare in Poland. Still, three attacks occurred at schools in the central Mazovia province within four days in mid-October, killing one person and injuring many others, including children. The young assailants used knives or other sharp weapons.

About 411,000 people in Poland hold gun permits. The country has a population of 37 million, and interest in gun ownership has been growing.

The Krakow suspect’s military-style equipment, firearms and appearance resembled those of other “extreme right lone actors” who have carried out attacks across Europe, said Kacper Rekawek, a senior researcher at the International Center for Counterterrorism in The Hague.

“We have had attempts before, but now we can say that these kinds of attacks have become successful in Poland.”

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Ciobanu reported from Warsaw, Poland.