Krakow Gunman Was 'Fascinated With Far-Right Views,' Minister Says

Poland’s interior minister said on Saturday evening that the gunman who killed six people in Krakow held “very radical views” and was fascinated by far-right ideologies. Marcin Kierwiński spoke at a press conference in Krakow hours after the shooting.

“Everything indicates that he acted alone and had very radical views,” Kierwiński said. He said the link to far-right ideology will still have to be verified.

The shooting happened shortly after 3 p.m. local time in the city’s Main Market Square. A gunman drove a car into the square and fired at random. Six people were killed, four women and two men, and at least 15 more were hurt.

Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz called the shooting an act of terror aimed at residents and tourists. He also said the gunman is not and never was a soldier in the Polish Armed Forces.

Kierwiński said police fired their first shots within three minutes of the first call. He said their fast reaction “prevented a much bigger massacre.” The gunman’s home was being searched on Saturday evening.

The investigation

Police have not officially named the gunman. Polish media, citing police sources, have identified him as Michał O., a Polish citizen in his mid-20s from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. He held a firearms permit and had no criminal record, according to those reports.

One of the six people killed was a foreign national, Kierwiński said. The victims have not been publicly named. Two police officers were wounded by gunfire, one of them seriously. The gunman was shot by police and taken to hospital for surgery.

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the attack was terror-related. The motive is still under investigation. The interior minister said the guns used in the attack may have been taken from the suspect’s family home.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the “heroic police officers who risked their lives.” He urged politicians not to exploit the tragedy.

Krakow’s Main Market Square, known as Rynek Główny, is the city’s central square and one of the largest medieval squares in Europe. It was busy on a Saturday afternoon.