In short
- A 24-year-old Polish man suspected of killing six people at Krakow’s Main Market Square on Saturday died in hospital early on Monday, Polish police said.
- Six people — four women and two men — were confirmed killed; four victims were Polish, and a British national and an Austrian woman also died.
- Police said three further bodies found at the suspect’s home were identified as his 53-year-old father, 52-year-old mother and 21-year-old sister.
- Sixteen people, including five foreign nationals and two police officers, were taken to hospital after the shooting.
- The attack began shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Saturday, and Poland declared two days of national mourning.
The 24-year-old man suspected of killing six people in a shooting in Krakow’s Main Market Square on Saturday died in hospital early on Monday, Polish police said. Sixteen people, including two police officers and five foreign nationals, were taken to hospital after the attack in Poland’s second largest city.
Who were the victims?
Six people were confirmed killed: four women and two men. Four of the victims were Polish, while a British national and an Austrian woman were also killed.
Three more bodies were found at the suspected gunman’s house when it was searched after the attack, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. On Sunday, police confirmed the three were the suspect’s 53-year-old father, 52-year-old mother and 21-year-old sister.
How did the shooting unfold?
The attack began shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Saturday in the busy Main Market Square. Armed officers engaged the suspect in a gunfight and shot him within three minutes of the attack starting, which officials said prevented a further massacre.
Sixteen people — including five foreigners, two police officers and the attacker — were taken to hospital. Poland’s interior ministry said the foreign patients were from Austria, Britain, Germany, Portugal and Russia. On Sunday it was reported that both injured officers had emerged from comas.
What do we know about the suspect?
Police identified the attacker as a 24-year-old Polish man but did not confirm his name. A minister said early investigations indicated he was inspired by “far-right ideologies” and described him as an “ultra-nationalist”, without giving further details.
Polish media reported that the suspect had a firearms permit and may have obtained the weapons from his family home. Krakow police said the suspected gunman died early on Monday morning.
How did bystanders respond?
Two surgeons who were eating near the Main Market Square when the shooting began rushed to the scene and treated both the attacker and the two injured police officers. Professor Michal Pędziwiatr told the BBC that he and his colleague acted because no ambulances were available.
“We rushed into the area where the shooting was and started our rescue, because there were no ambulances available, there were no professionals around.”
Pędziwiatr said his colleague, named by local media as Dr Mateusz Wierdak, used his hand to stem the bleeding from the most severely injured policeman, allowing time for an ambulance to arrive. The professor said his colleague “undoubtedly” saved the officer’s life.
What have officials said?
Poland declared two days of national mourning. After travelling to Krakow, Tusk said: “Until now in Poland we haven’t had such drastic cases of terrorism… that’s what we have to call this cruel attack on people’s lives here in Krakow.”
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was “shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting in Kraków” and that the United Kingdom stood in solidarity with the people of Poland. Main Market Square reopened on Sunday evening after a security cordon was lifted.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were killed in the Krakow shooting?
Six people — four women and two men — were confirmed killed in the attack at Main Market Square. Three further victims, the suspect’s father, mother and sister, were found at his home.
Has the Krakow shooting suspect died?
Yes. Krakow police said the 24-year-old suspected gunman died in hospital early on Monday morning, after officers shot him during the attack on Saturday.
Where did the Krakow shooting take place?
The shooting began shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Saturday in Krakow’s Main Market Square, in Poland’s second largest city. The square reopened on Sunday evening after a security cordon was lifted.
What did officials say about the suspect’s motive?
A minister said early investigations indicated the attacker was inspired by “far-right ideologies” and described him as an “ultra-nationalist”, without giving further details. Police have not confirmed his name.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)