Gunman 'fascinated by far-right' kills six in Krakow

Kraków — A gunman opened fire on random passers-by on Krakow's Main Market Square on Saturday, killing six people and wounding at least 15 in what Polish authorities described as the country's deadliest shooting since the fall of communism in 1989.

Police said the attacker, a Polish citizen born in 2002, drove a car onto the square — one of the country's best-known tourist landmarks — and began shooting. Officers shot the suspect, who was taken to hospital and is now in custody. "The death toll now stands at six: four women and two men," police said on X.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said the man appeared to be "fascinated by far-right ideologies" and held "ultra-nationalist views". "Everything suggests that the perpetrator held very, very radical views. A number of weapons were found in the car he was driving," he said, adding that the man wore military-style clothing. Five of the wounded and one of those killed were foreign nationals, he said; their nationalities have not been disclosed.

Andrzej Fijołek, spokesman for the chief of police, said the attacker used a semi-automatic rifle similar to the American AR-15. Krakow police spokeswoman Katarzyna Cislo told private broadcaster TVN24 that officers found "a large quantity of ammunition" in the car, according to CNA. Police officers were among the wounded.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk travelled to Krakow after the attack, calling it "a tragic shooting" and saying police were investigating all the circumstances. "Our highest praise goes to the heroic police officers who risked their lives in the line of duty," he said.

On Saturday evening the usually bustling square remained sealed off, with forensic investigators examining the scene. Witnesses told AFP they had seen people take refuge in shops and restaurants as the shooting unfolded.

What happens next rests with investigators: establishing how the suspect acquired the rifle and ammunition, whether he acted alone, and identifying the foreign victims. Tusk's government, which has sparred with Brussels over the rule of law but rarely faced mass violence of this kind at home, must now decide whether the attack warrants changes to Poland's firearms rules or its monitoring of far-right extremism.