A gunman shot dead at least six people on Saturday in the medieval heart of the Polish city of Krakow, the authorities said, in an attack that struck at the height of the weekend rush in a popular market square.
Officials identified the gunman as a 24-year-old Polish citizen but did not give a name or possible motive for the shooting, which ended after the police wounded and apprehended the assailant.
The gunman, according to the police, began firing from a car he had driven into Krakow’s market square, a popular destination for foreign and Polish tourists in the city’s Old Town, at around 3 p.m.
Six people died and at least 15 more were wounded in the attack, the mayor of Krakow, Lukasz Gibala, said. “Emergency services are currently at work. I ask for calm and responsibility,” he said in a statement.
The gunman, state media reported, was wounded in fire from police officers patrolling the area and was taken to a hospital.
Poland’s interior minister, Marcin Kierwinski, said that the wounded included two police officers, one of whom was in “a very critical condition.”
Mass shootings are extremely rare in Poland, but the war in neighboring Ukraine has stirred alarm about an increase in the supply of weapons, which are tightly controlled.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who left Warsaw for Krakow after receiving a briefing from security officials, posted a message on social media praising the “heroic police officers who acted at the risk of their own lives.” He added a plea to “politicians of all stripes: do not exploit this tragedy.”
Political tempers have risen sharply over the past week during a volatile standoff at Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw, where newly appointed pro-government judges announced on Oct. 31 that they had suspended the chief justice, an ally of the previous governing party, Law and Justice. Riot police have surrounded the court for the past week, holding back right-wing protesters gathered outside.
Mr. Tusk’s right-wing opponents have accused Mr. Tusk of engineering a “coup d’état,” while the prime minister has insisted he only wants to end the capture of the court by judges appointed by Law and Justice, a right-wing nationalist party.
Poland’s president, Karol Nawrocki, an ally of Law and Justice who has led a chorus of accusations against Mr. Tusk, said on social media on Saturday that he expected a full investigation to determine the circumstances of the shooting, calling the public’s safety a priority.
Krakow’s sprawling market square forms the heart of the city’s medieval center and is dotted with cafes, music bars, restaurants, hotels and hostels, making it one of Poland’s most visited tourist destinations.
Krakow’s public transportation operator said on social media that a tram was struck by gunfire near the square, shattering the driver’s window. Neither the driver nor any passengers were injured.
Unverified video footage circulating on social media showed a man identified as the gunman lying on the ground and dressed in military-style combat clothing. The police denied rumors of two assailants, saying that only one man, the Polish citizen, was involved.
Footage from a webcam overlooking the square, Rynek Glowny, showed it to be largely empty later on Saturday afternoon, except for a helicopter, ambulances and police cars. Bystanders left the square as the authorities cordoned off the area.
Anatol Magdziarz contributed reporting from Warsaw.
The post Gunman Opens Fire in Krakow, Killing at Least 6, Polish Police Say appeared first on New York Times.
