Five people were killed and more than a dozen were injured Saturday afternoon when a gunman opened fire in the busy Main Square in Krakow, Poland, police said. The attacker, a Polish citizen, drove into the square and fired at random people, according to Krakow police.
Police officers were among the wounded. The gunman was shot and wounded in a gunfight with officers a short distance from the initial attack. Krakow police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło told TVN24 that he wore military-style fatigues and used a military-type long gun. Officers found more weapons and ammunition in his car.
Cisło said the gunman acted alone and that the public is safe. A tram driver reported around 3 p.m. that a man in a moving car had fired at his vehicle near the square, and the tram’s cab window was shattered, according to the city’s transport company.
Images from the scene showed police and ambulances covering the area, and a Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter landed in the square. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said police are investigating. President Karol Nawrocki said his thoughts were with the victims and their families.
The Main Square draws about 15 million tourists a year, so the attack hit one of the country’s most visited spots. Mass shootings are rare in Poland. U.S. Ambassador Tom Rose condemned the attack on X.
