Krakow shooting: Why was Poland's tourist hotspot Main Square targeted? Who is the gunman found with military-style clothes, weapons?

Poland Krakow shooting: At least five people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a drive-by shooting in Krakow city centre on Saturday, multiple news outlets reported. The gunman aimed at random people as he drove into the city’s main square, a major tourist destination, police said. The perpetrator of the attack in central Krakow was 25 years old. He was shot by police officers and taken to hospital, according to RMF FM reporter Kacper Wróblewski.

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Shooting in Polish city of Krakow

According to news agency AP, the gunman opened fire Saturday afternoon in a busy market square in Krakow, Poland, police said. opened fire Saturday afternoon in a busy market square in Krakow, Poland, police said in which police officers also sustained injuries. Around 15 million tourists visit Krakow annually, the majority passing through the Main Square. Krakow is the second-largest city in Poland and roughly 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the capital, Warsaw.


Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in a post on X, said police are investigating the attack. And Polish President Karol Nawrocki said his thoughts were with the victims, the wounded and their families. “We are just learning details of the horrific mass shooting in Krakow, a savage and murderous attack that’s shattered the peace of Poland,” Tom Rose, the U.S. ambassador to Poland, wrote on X. “America stands with Poland at this dark hour as Poland stands with her beloved citizens of Krakow.”

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Who is the gunman found with military-style clothes?

Katarzyna Cisło, a spokesperson for the Krakow police, told TVN24 that the perpetrator was wearing military-style fatigues and he used a military-type long gun in the attack. Police found many other weapons, as well as ammunition, in his car.

Cisło added that the gunman acted alone and that the public is safe. Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland. The perpetrator was shot and wounded during a gunfight with officers a short distance away from the initial violence, police said.

The attacker was shot by officers at the intersection of Stradomska and Dietla Streets. He was taken to a Krakow hospital and is undergoing resuscitation, according to local media reports.

Polish defence minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, has also released a statement: "Tragic shooting in Kraków’s Main Market Square. For us, the residents of Kraków and the Małopolska region, these are particularly difficult times. I am in contact with the Minister of the Interior, the Voivode and all the emergency services. All the circumstances and motives behind this incident will be thoroughly investigated. I extend my deepest condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones."

(With agency inputs)