Three bodies found at suspect's home after Krakow square shooting
Police discovered the remains of three likely family members at the home of a 25-year-old gunman who killed six people in Krakow's Main Market Square, while investigators probe possible far-right motives.
Police in Poland found the bodies of two women and a man at the residence of a 25-year-old suspect in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 200 km from Krakow, where a gunman opened fire in the historic Main Market Square on Saturday. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the victims are believed to be members of the shooter's immediate family.
The attack, which left six people dead and more than a dozen injured, occurred shortly before 3 p.m. local time. Authorities said the gunman fired randomly from a car as pedestrians fled, also damaging a passing tram. Police engaged the suspect within three minutes, shooting him and later taking him to hospital in a stable but critical condition after multiple surgeries.
"We know that a significant amount of weaponry may be inside the house," Tusk said, explaining the use of a drone to survey the property before officers entered, due to concerns about additional weapons.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said preliminary findings suggest the shooter was influenced by far-right ideology, adding that this angle will be part of the investigation.
"Everything points to the fact that the shooter was influenced by far-right ideology, a matter that will also be subject to investigation," Kierwiński told reporters.
Counter-terrorism units, the Internal Security Agency and the Military Counterintelligence Service assisted in the search of the suspect's home, which was evacuated before officers entered. Police also examined the suspect's vehicle for explosives, finding none.
The shooter, described as wearing military-style clothing and using an AR-15 rifle, held a firearms licence, according to police spokesperson Andrzej Fijolek. Additional weapons and ammunition were reported in the vehicle.
Six victims – four women and two men – were confirmed dead, including a British national. Three victims were identified as Polish citizens; the identities of two others were pending. Sixteen people, among them five foreign nationals and two police officers, were hospitalized. One injured officer remained in very critical condition after being shot three times.
Prime Minister Tusk visited Krakow after the incident, calling it an unprecedented act of violence in Poland.