Polish prosecutors opened a terrorism investigation on Sunday after a gunman killed six people in Krakow’s Main Market Square, with three members of the suspect’s family later found dead at his home.
The shooting on Saturday, November 7, left at least 15 other people injured, including two police officers. Police shot and wounded the suspected attacker, who remained in hospital in critical condition, according to reports published on Sunday.
Gunfire in the city centre
Police said the gunman drove into the square at about 3 p.m. local time and fired at people at random. The attack struck a busy tourist destination in the heart of Krakow’s historic centre.
Four women and two men were killed. Officers exchanged gunfire with the attacker and wounded him. Two police officers were among those injured during the response.
Prosecutors investigate terrorist offence
Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office said on Sunday it was investigating the killing of six people and the attempted murder of others, including police officers, as a terrorist offence, France 24 reported.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said preliminary findings pointed to far-right ideological influence. The suspect’s motive and the circumstances of the attack remained under investigation; the inquiry does not constitute a finding of guilt.
Three relatives found dead at suspect’s home
Police also discovered three bodies at the suspect’s home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski. Authorities identified them as his parents and sister, according to ABC News.
Those deaths are separate from the six people killed in Krakow’s square. Investigators were examining their connection to the suspect and the wider sequence of events.
Poland began two days of national mourning on Sunday. Parts of the square remained closed as investigators continued their work, CBS News reported.
Published injury totals have varied, partly because some reports include the wounded suspect. This report uses the lower figure of at least 15 injured other than the suspect. His exact age has been omitted because reports differ.
