Krakow police stated that the man drove a vehicle onto the square and began firing at random people from inside the car. Katarzyna Cislo, a spokesperson for the Krakow police, told the news outlet TVN24 that the perpetrator was wearing military-style fatigues and used a military-type long gun in the attack. Police discovered additional weapons and ammunition in the vehicle. Several police officers were among those wounded in the incident.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on social media that he is being kept informed by the Minister of the Interior regarding the situation. Tusk stated that police are currently investigating the background and all circumstances surrounding the attack. Polish President Karol Nawrocki expressed his thoughts regarding the victims, the wounded, and their families. No specific motive or identity for the suspect has been publicly confirmed at this stage.
The U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Tom Rose, condemned the incident on social media, describing it as a “savage and murderous attack” that has “shattered the peace of Poland.” Rose stated that the United States stands with Poland during this time. Mass shootings are reported to be uncommon in Poland, a European Union and NATO member with a population of 38 million.
Witnesses described the chaos in the square. Annette, a local resident in her sixties, told the news agency Agence France-Presse that she saw a man shooting at people and walking around the square. “It’s a tragedy for Krakow; we’ve never seen anything like this before,” she said. The Main Market Square is located in the medieval Old Town, home to the Cloth Hall and St. Mary’s Basilica.
Krakow is the second-largest city in Poland, located approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the capital, Warsaw. Investigators are working to determine the full scale of the incident and the specific details of the attack. No further details regarding the condition of the injured or the legal status of the suspect were immediately available.
