A British man was among six people shot dead in a suspected terror attack in Krakow as the Polish police officers who engaged the gunman have been hailed as heroes.
Another Briton was among 16 people injured, including the suspected gunman, after he opened fire in Krakow’s Main Square on Saturday afternoon.
Four women and two men were killed, with local officials saying three of the women and one man were Polish.The other man was British, while the nationality of the fourth woman remains unknown.
Police privacy screens are installed in a cordoned off area after a shooter opened fire in a market square in Krakow. Credit: AP
Five foreign nationals from the UK, Portugal, Russia, Germany and Austria were among the wounded.
A video posted on social media showed a police officer repeatedly shooting the attacker, who was lying on the street. The officer later slowly collapsed to the ground.
The two police officers who stopped the gunman, in actions authorities hailed as heroic, remain in the hospital. They were both conscious by Sunday afternoon.
“If it weren’t for the efficient and selfless intervention of these two young men, the number of victims could have been significantly higher,” Krzysztof Jan Klęczar, the Malopolska regional governor, said.
Michał Pędziwiatr and Mateusz Wierdak, two local surgeons who were having a bite to eat nearby, also stepped in and have been praised for their actions.
Wierdak “took care of the officer who subdued the attacker because he truly needed urgent help,” Pędziwiatr told the Polish news website onet. “Without protection, without gloves, he simply focused on the officer, stopping the bleeding in his chest. This probably saved his life.”
A forensic investigator takes photos next to the vehicle allegedly used by a shooter who opened fire in a market square in Krakow. Credit: AP
Authorities also found three dead bodies at the 24-year-old suspected gunman’s family home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a city about 93 miles north-east of Krakow.
Police said on Sunday they were the bodies of his sister, mother and father, and they are believed to have been shot.
The suspected gunman was believed to have been inspired by “far-right ideologies” and remains in hospital after being shot by police.
The shooting happened at around 3.30pm on Saturday when the gunman, armed with an automatic weapon, opened fire in the Old Town area of Poland’s second-largest city.
He drove to multiple spots in the square, opening fire at each, authorities said.
Neil Thaxton, of Knottingley, West Yorkshire, wrote on Facebook: “We had just walked through the main square and heard the gunshots.
“We thought it was fireworks then people started running.
Poland is in shock after a terror attack in a popular tourist area in the country’s second-largest city left six people dead, ITV News’ Sabah Choudhry reported on Saturday
“We went into a gift shop and the staff took us in the back of the shop and locked the doors and turned the lights off.
“It was quite scary for 5-10 minutes, fortunately we’re alright, our thoughts are with the ones who’ve lost their lives and their loved ones.”
In a press conference on Saturday night, Polish police commander-in-chief Marek Boron said: “There are 16 people injured including two police officers and the perpetrator himself – 11 of those are Polish citizens, five citizens of foreign countries.
“There are six fatalities, four women and two men – three Polish persons, one citizen of Great Britain and two persons who are not yet identified.”
“We are undertaking activities at the place where the perpetrator lived, so I think we will know more what those investigations bring.”
As it emerged that a British citizen was among the dead, Prime Minister Andy Burnham paid tribute to the victims of the attack.
Burnham said: “I’m shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting in Krakow today.
“My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives, everyone injured and all those affected by this senseless violence.
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“The United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the people of Poland.”
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said on Sunday: “The events in Krakow are profoundly shocking.
“My deepest condolences go to those who are waking up this morning within an enormous hole in their lives as a result of this appalling incident.
“We’re not able to save much more at this stage. And I don’t believe the name of the British victim has been released.
“But suffice to say, we stand in solidarity with Poland this morning. And we stand with those who are grieving in the face of such an unspeakable tragedy.”The Polish interior minister Marcin Kierwinski said the attacker held “very radical views” and “was fascinated by far-right ideologies”.
Polish defence minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz called Saturday’s fatal shooting an “act of terror” on the people of Krakow.
The FCDO is advising British nationals in Krakow to “follow the advice of local authorities and monitor local media”.
In a statement, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said: “The UK Government deeply mourns the British national and other victims who have died after the appalling attack in Krakow.
“All of my deepest condolences go to the families of the victims.
“The UK stands resolutely in solidarity with the people of Poland.”
Krakow mayor Lukasz Gibala said in a post on X that the city would observe a period of mourning until November 11.
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