British citizen killed, five foreigners injured in Krakow shooting
A British citizen was among six people killed in a mass shooting in Krakow, Poland, on Saturday, 7 November. Five other foreign nationals were injured in the attack, according to Polish authorities.
The injured foreigners were citizens of Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and the United Kingdom, Reuters reported, citing Poland’s Interior Ministry.
Among the six people killed were four women and two men. Police identified three victims as Polish citizens and one as British, while the identities of the remaining two had not been established.
The shooting occurred at around 3 p.m. local time in Krakow’s Main Market Square, one of Poland’s most popular tourist destinations.
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According to police, a gunman drove into the square and opened fire at pedestrians from his vehicle. Officers arrived within minutes and exchanged gunfire with the attacker before arresting him.
Sixteen people, including two police officers and the suspect, were taken to hospital. One officer sustained serious injuries.
Police investigate possible far-right motive
The suspected attacker, a Polish national in his mid-20s, reportedly wore military-style clothing and used an AR-15-style rifle. Investigators also recovered additional weapons and ammunition from his vehicle.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said preliminary findings suggested the suspect held ultranationalist views and may have been influenced by far-right ideology. Authorities have not established a definitive motive.
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Police later discovered three additional bodies at the suspect’s home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, roughly 200 kilometres from Krakow.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the victims, two women and a man, were believed to be members of the suspect’s immediate family. Investigators are examining whether their deaths are connected to the shooting.
President Karol Nawrocki declared 8 and 9 November days of national mourning, while authorities increased security in Warsaw and other Polish cities.
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Krakow’s municipal authorities also announced a mourning period through Wednesday as investigators continued identifying victims and examining the suspect’s background.
