Crimeupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 15 October 2019Krakow Main Market Square Shooting Kills Five as Police Arrest Attacker
3 Western Mainstream2 West Asian1 IsraeliPhoto: Ingo Mehling, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Five people killed and more than a dozen injured in Kraków Main Market Square shooting. The gunman fired from a passing car and was shot by police at the scene.
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Krakow Main Square Attack
Police in Krakow said a shooting in the Main Market Square left five people dead and a dozen injured, with the attacker shot by police at the scene and taken to hospital around 3 p.m. local time. Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the "heroic police officers who risked their lives" to stop today's shooter, while the interior minister confirmed two officers were shot and one remained "in very critical condition". Krakow officials said the shots were fired from a vehicle moving through the area, and the city’s posts placed the shooting in the Main Market Square near All Saint's Square, with the driver's cab window "was shattered".
Police received reports at around 3 p.m. that someone in a car had been shooting randomly people who entered the square, and the police spokesperson said the man was wearing military-style attire. Haaretz and Reuters local authorities said six people were killed and 15 wounded in Krakow's Main Market Square, while NBC News described five people dead and at least a dozen injured.
Police, Suspect, and Officials
Krakow police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło told TVN24 that the perpetrator was wearing military-style fatigues and used a military-type long gun in the attack. A police spokesperson said, "During the arrest, officers used their weapons, but the man returned fire; as a result, two police officers are among the injured." A police spokesperson reported that the man was wearing military-style attire and that during the arrest officers used their weapons but the man returned fire.
Police detained the attacker near the intersection of Dietla and Stradomska streets, and the incident was contained with no other suspects. Tom Rose, the U.S. ambassador to Poland, wrote on X that the attack was a "savage and murderous attack that's shattered the peace of Poland".
Investigation and Public Impact
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X that police were investigating the incident and that he was receiving information from the Ministry of the Interior.
Justice minister Waldemar Żurek appealed for calm and said the perpetrator will be "severely punished," while prosecutors, police and relevant services worked at the scene securing evidence and investigating the circumstances.
Officials in Poland identified the suspect as a Polish citizen, and Malopolski Police said the only known perpetrator was in police custody while denying reports that another suspect was being sought.
A helicopter from the Polish Air Ambulance Service landed at the square, and medical rescue teams operated near St. Mary’s Church amid a state of alert among emergency services.
Krakow’s official social media account said none of the passengers or the driver were injured, even as shop windows showed signs of damage with glass shards scattered along the floor.