Five people have been killed and more than a dozen injured after a gunman opened fire in Krakow’s Main Square, police said. Officers were among those wounded in the attack on the Polish city’s major tourist destination.
The gunman reportedly drove into the square on Saturday afternoon and fired at people at random before fleeing the scene. He was later shot and wounded during an exchange of gunfire with police a short distance away.
Katarzyna Cisło, a Krakow police spokesperson, said the attacker was wearing military-style clothing and had used a military-type long gun. Police found ammunition and numerous pieces of other weapons inside his car.
Police said the gunman had acted alone and that there was no continuing danger to the public. Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland.
Images from Krakow’s Main Square showed police officers and ambulances at the scene, while a Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter landed in the area.
A tram driver reported at about 3pm that a man in a moving car had fired at his vehicle as it passed near the square. The window of the driver’s cabin was shattered, according to Krakow’s municipal transport company.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a post on X that police were investigating the attack.
Krakow, Poland’s second-largest city, lies about 250 kilometres from Warsaw. About 15 million tourists visit the city each year, with most passing through its Main Square.
