At least six people have died - four women and two men - and another 16 have been injured this Saturday in a shooting in the historic center of Krakow, one of the most tourist cities in Poland.
The head of the Polish Police, Marek Boron, has confirmed that three of the deceased were Polish citizens, another British and that the other two have not yet been identified. The alleged perpetrator of the attack, a 25-year-old Polish man, has been arrested after an armed confrontation with the agents. The attack was inspired by "far-right ideologies", according to Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiski.
The governor of Lesser Poland, Krzysztof Jan Klczar, has reported that 12 of the 16 injured are in danger of death. 11 of them are Polish citizens; the other five, foreigners of British, Portuguese, Russian, German and Austrian nationality, as reported this Sunday by the Police.
As explained to Polsat News, the health services have assigned these 12 patients the red category, the most urgent in the medical classification system. The sixth fatality - initially, the balance was five - died in the hospital.
The attack occurred shortly after 3:00 p.m., when a man driving a black Subaru broke into the vicinity of the Market Square, one of the city's main tourist attractions, and began shooting indiscriminately at passers-by. According to initial investigations, the vehicle was traveling along Sawkowska Street in the direction of the main square.
The attacker, who acted alone, has been identified by the Polish press as Michal O., born in 2002 and lived with his parents and sister in an apartment in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski. According to the Police, he was wearing military-style clothing: balaclava, bulletproof vest, knee pads and tactical clothing, according to the testimony of a witness, a former police officer and councilor of Krakow.
According to his story, he fired single shots with an AR-15, not bursts.
Numerous police patrols and emergency teams immediately moved to the scene, where a medical helicopter landed. The shots caused scenes of panic among residents and tourists, who sought refuge in nearby commercial establishments and buildings.
The authorities cordoned off the area and asked the population to avoid approaching the historic center.
The arrest occurred after the agents intercepted the suspect, who tried to flee in his car until he crashed it into another. Upon getting out of the vehicle, the man responded to the fire of the agents, who used their weapons during the operation.
Three police officers were injured in the exchange of fire. The attacker was caught and taken to hospital under police custody. His condition is extremely serious: he has undergone two surgeries.
The Police have expressly denied rumors about a second attacker and the death of an officer. Furthermore, the spokesperson for the National Police now speaks of three injured police officers, compared to the two initially reported.
According to the Minister of the Interior, one of the agents is in very serious condition, with three gunshot wounds, and is undergoing surgery.
The Minister of the Interior added that everything indicates that the attacker had "very radical ideas" and that "many weapons were found" in the car he was driving, although searches of the vehicle and his house are still being carried out.
The Associated Press reports that police found other weapons and ammunition inside the vehicle. The man also shot at a tram, although no injuries were caused to its occupants.
During a press conference this afternoon, the Minister of the Interior, Marcin Kierwiski, stated that one of the hypotheses is that the weapons used in the attack were stolen from the suspect's family home.
Kierwiski has indicated that the suspect's father had several weapons registered, but that it is "too early" to comment on the matter. He added that the first analyzes indicate that the suspect had "ultranationalist ideas", something that, according to Kierwiski, must be verified.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed during a press conference that the bodies of two women and a man have been found at the suspect's home.
The Polish Police confirmed this Sunday that the three bodies found dead correspond to his father, mother and sister, aged 53, 52 and 21, respectively, although the details that led to their death are still unknown.
The Prosecutor's Office and police teams continue to collect evidence to reconstruct the attacker's route and determine the circumstances of the shooting. The death toll remains provisional.
In the square there were scenes of pure panic. Witnesses speak of an initial roar, the sound of cars colliding and, immediately, of several shots that unleashed a chaotic flight between tourists and pedestrians.
People ran and took refuge as best they could in nearby arcades, premises and buildings. A woman said that, upon hearing the shots, she shouted to those who were at the stop to run with her; A tram that arrived at that moment "saved their lives" by acting as a screen, before a bullet hit the window next to the driver's cabin.
Afterwards, dozens of people locked themselves in a parking lot and in municipal offices, while some women screamed in fear and a young woman, completely in shock, could barely be calmed down.
Another witness reported that he saw two or three people lying on the ground, next to a car with the window blown out, in the middle of a scene of total confusion and ambulances and patrol cars invading the historic center.
The municipal authorities also confirmed that the attacker also shot at a tram on line 1 and broke the window of the driver's cabin, although there were no injuries.
"My deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the tragic attack in Krakow. My utmost recognition to the heroic police officers who risked their lives," declared Prime Minister Donald Tusk, during a joint press conference with the head of the Polish Police and the mayor of Krakow.
"We will clarify all the circumstances of this crime," added Tusk, who traveled to Krakow this Saturday night to lead the government response to the massacre that left six dead and 16 injured.
The prime minister called an extraordinary meeting with several ministers and those responsible for the security services to learn first-hand about the progress of the investigation. The head of the Government asked the political forces not to exploit the tragedy and promised to clarify all the circumstances of the attack.
