A 24-year-old man with far-right views who killed six people and wounded 15 others during a shooting in a Polish city square died in a hospital on Monday, police said.
The attacker, who was wearing a bulletproof vest and military-style clothing, drove into the Main Square in Krakow’s Old Town and opened fire. The square is a major tourist destination in Poland’s second-largest city. Several foreigners were among those killed and wounded in the attack.
Police reported that the man continued to fire even after being wounded by officers. He had been in critical condition in the hospital since the shooting.
Authorities also located the bodies of the gunman's mother, father, and sister at his family home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a city located about 150km (93 miles) northeast of Krakow. They likely died from gunshot wounds.
On Sunday night, mourners placed flowers and candles next to bullet holes in the Krakow square, which had become a site of bloodshed and grief. Resident Maciej Sikorski told Associated Press from the square, “I come here so as not to get caught up in a spiral of fear and anxiety. In a situation like this, it’s all too easy to stop living – to start being afraid instead, and just vegetate. That is something I really want to avoid.”
Prosecutors announced on Sunday that they have opened an investigation into the murder and attempted murder of numerous people, including police officers. They stated the act “constituting a terrorist offence”.
The shooting killed four women and two men. Authorities said three of the women and one of the men were Polish. A man from the UK and a woman from Austria were also among the dead.
Two police officers who stopped the gunman were hailed by authorities as heroic and remain in the hospital. They were both conscious by Sunday afternoon. Five foreigners were among the wounded, coming from the UK, Portugal, Russia, Germany, and Austria.
