6 killed, 15 injured in Krakow shooting

The death toll from a shooting in Krakow's Main Market Square on Saturday rose to six, Polish news website Onet reported, quoting local authorities, said Xinhua.

Fifteen people were injured, including three police officers, according to police figures cited by the website.

A representative of the regional police told broadcaster TVN24 that the gunman was wearing military clothing and using a military-type long gun. He was detained at the intersection of Dietla and Stradom streets. A large quantity of additional firearms and ammunition was seized from his car.

Citing unofficial police information, Onet reported that the gunman fired at random people while driving, without selecting specific targets. Officers pursued him and exchanged gunfire with him.

Regional police spokesperson Katarzyna Cislo told Onet that the detained man was Polish. He had no identification documents with him, and officers established his identity through operational work, she said. Onet separately reported, citing unofficial information, that he was 24 years old.

Cislo also said she could not confirm the involvement of a second perpetrator. "According to our findings so far, there was only one perpetrator," she added.

Krakow Mayor Lukasz Gibala said a crisis management team was operating at city hall. He urged the public to remain calm and act responsibly and expressed sympathy for the victims' loved ones.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk was heading to Krakow, TVN24 reported. Earlier, Tusk said on X that he was being kept informed by the interior minister and that police were investigating the background and all circumstances of the attack.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki said he was in contact with the relevant services and expected a full explanation of the circumstances. The head of the National Security Bureau was on the way to Krakow, he added.

Prosecutors, police and other services were securing evidence at the scene and investigating the attack, according to Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek, who urged the public to avoid obstructing their work and pledged to hold the perpetrator accountable.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz pledged a thorough investigation into the circumstances and motives behind the incident, adding that he was in contact with the interior minister, the regional governor and the relevant services.