A gunman who drove onto Krakow's Main Market Square opened fire on people at random, killing at least six and wounding at least 15, Polish authorities said.
A man drove into an open market in the Polish city of Krakow on Saturday and began shooting from his car, killing at least six people and injuring at least 15 others, according to CBS News, citing authorities. The attack took place in the Main Market Square at about 3 p.m. local time.
Krakow police said the alleged shooter fired at random people. They said the victims who died were four women and two men. Police officers are among the wounded.
The suspect was shot and wounded during a confrontation with police a short distance from where the violence began. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and is in custody.
In a social media post, Krakow police said the gunman is a Polish citizen and acted alone. Katarzina Cisło, a Krakow police spokesperson, told TVN24 that the suspect wore military-style fatigues and used a military-type long gun.
Police also found many pieces of other weapons, along with ammunition, in his car, according to the spokesperson. Other details, including a possible motive, were not immediately available.
The death toll was initially reported as five before the Malopolski regional government raised it to six in a post on X. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński wrote on X that two police officers were wounded by gunfire and that one is in serious condition. He said officers in Kraków "risked their lives to intervene," and credited their actions with the attacker being quickly apprehended.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on social media that he was being kept informed by the interior minister and that police were investigating "the background and all the circumstances of the attack." A government spokesperson said Tusk later traveled from Warsaw to Krakow.
Tom Rose, the U.S. ambassador to Poland, called the shooting a "savage and murderous attack" and wrote that America stands with Poland. Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, said the EU stands with Poland and offered condolences, writing that "Poland does not stand alone."
Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland, a European Union and NATO member with 38 million people. Krakow is the country's second-largest city, roughly 155 miles from Warsaw.
A woman in her sixties identified only as Annette told Agence France-Presse she saw a man shooting at people and walking around the square. "It's a tragedy for Krakow; we've never seen anything like this before," she said.
The Associated Press contributed to CBS News' report. Police have not yet released further information on the investigation.
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