Image provided by EPA
On the 7th, a man believed to be influenced by far-right ideology opened fire in the center of Krakow, Poland's second largest city, killing six people and injuring 16 others.
Police said the gunman drove into Krakow's tourist attraction Main Market Square on the afternoon of the 7th and fired indiscriminately at people nearby.
Four women and two men died. Four of them were Polish, one British and one Austrian.
Five of the 16 injured were foreign nationals, including those from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and the United Kingdom.
Two police officers briefly fell into a coma, but later regained consciousness. The 15 injured, including two police officers, are currently in stable condition.
The suspect is a 24-year-old Polish man who was wearing military-style weapons and clothing.
Poland's Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said that "everything shows that the suspect was fascinated by far-right ideology" and that he had "ultra-nationalist views".
The suspect was shot and taken into custody by officers. He underwent surgery at the hospital and is currently receiving treatment.
The governor of Lesser Polska County, where Krakow is located, told local media that all those who underwent surgery at the hospital after the incident survived.
He added that the only person currently in critical condition is the suspect.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said three more bodies were found when anti-terrorism police searched the suspect's home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 200 kilometers from Krakow. Polish police announced on the 8th that they had confirmed the identities of the bodies as the suspect's parents and sister.
Prime Minister Tusk said, ``Poland has never before seen such extreme terrorism...This brutal attack on people's lives in Krakow can only be called terrorism.''
On the evening of the 7th, when the shooting occurred, a large number of armed police were mobilized across Krakow, and security was strengthened in the capital Warsaw and other parts of the country.
Krakow has decided to observe a period of mourning until the 11th.
Two police officers were also injured in the incident on the 7th. On the 7th, a police officer was reported to be in critical condition after being shot three times while attempting to detain a suspect.
However, Interior Minister Kierwiński announced on the 8th that the two police officers had recovered from their comas. The interior minister praised senior constables Jakub Kulik and Artur Moranski as "heroes".
"We are on your side! Stay strong and get well soon! Poland needs you!"
Mass shooting in historic district crowded with tourists
The shooting occurred just before 3pm on the 7th in the historic district of central Krakow. The city's ornate square has long been a popular destination for tourists.
Footage of the incident shows the suspect's car speeding through the city centre, people fleeing as gunfire rings out.
Store windows were shattered and a streetcar was hit by gunfire. The shooting lasted about three minutes, police said.
Images showed overturned tables and scattered belongings of those who fled.
Armed police pursued the suspect's vehicle. When the car crashed and stopped, a gunfight with the suspect ensued.
Shocking footage, confirmed as authentic by BBC Verify, shows the moment a police officer confronts a suspect lying on the ground.
The injured officer then fell to the ground.
At the time of the incident, the suspect was said to be wearing military-style tactical gear and possessing military-grade weapons. However, the Polish government says the suspect does not belong to the Polish military.
Additional weapons and ammunition were found in the suspect's vehicle. The suspect's name has not been released.
Prime Minister Tusk appealed to the public to provide information, saying that "anyone who may have supported the suspect" would be detained.
"There were four people lying on the road."
Witnesses near the scene described panic and chaos in the square as gunfire continued.
Cezary, a 24-year-old Polish student living in Krakow, didn't realize at first that the loud noise was a gunshot. However, when he saw four people lying on the street, he realized it was a shooting incident.
"There were continuous gunshots and lots of people screaming," Tsezali said. He also witnessed someone trying to revive a person who was lying on the ground covered in blood.
Caitlin Shasby, from Newcastle in northeast England, was in her hotel room when she heard gunshots. Police "blocked off" the street in front of the hotel and they were told to stay indoors.
Another witness told Polish news site Interior: "I saw shots being fired and smoke coming out of the driver's side window."
"I ran to the police station in the central market square. There were people lying all over the floor of the police station."
Image copyrightReuters
The bodies of his parents and sister were found in the suspect's house.
Polish police announced on the 8th that they have confirmed that the three bodies found in the suspect's apartment are his father (53), mother (52), and sister (21).
Initial police investigation determined that multiple wounds on the body were caused by gunshot wounds.
The police investigation is continuing without limiting its focus to this apartment.
(English article: Six killed in Krakow 'far-right' shooting, as three more bodies found in suspect's home／Krakow market square reopens after deadly shooting as witness recalls 'panic unfolding around us'／Surgeon having lunch near Krakow shooting undoubtedly saved officer's life, colleague says)
