Two Days of Mourning Begin in Poland After Krakow Square Attack

Poland began a two-day period of national mourning on Sunday following a violent attack in Krakow. The incident took place on Saturday in Main Square, a central hub in the city's Old Town that draws many tourists.

A 24-year-old man drove a vehicle into the crowded square and began shooting. Police reports state that six people died and 15 others were injured before officers shot and wounded the attacker. Defense Minister described the event as an act of terror. By Sunday morning, the square remained partially closed while investigators continued their work.

Officials identified the victims as four women and two men. Regional Governor Krzysztof Jan Klęczar noted that three of the women and one of the men were Polish citizens. The other two victims were a man from the United Kingdom and a woman from an unidentified country. Five non-Polish citizens were also among those wounded, representing the United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, Germany, and Austria. Marie-Ange Collaer, a survivor from Brussels, wrote on social media that her family hid in a shop to escape the gunfire and felt shocked but grateful to be alive.

Police discovered three additional bodies at the attacker's family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, a city 150 kilometers northeast of Krakow. The deceased were the attacker's sister, mother, and father. Authorities stated that the family members likely died from gunshot wounds. The attacker remains in critical condition after multiple surgeries. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the man held very radical and ultranationalistic views, adding that everything indicates he was fascinated by far-right ideologies.

Two police officers who stopped the shooter are still hospitalized. One remains in a coma while the other has woken up. Klęczar called their intervention heroic and launched an appeal for blood donations for the most seriously wounded officer. He also noted that the attacker's father legally owned more than 10 guns, and the attacker also possessed firearms. Poland has approximately 411,000 gun permits among its 37 million residents. Mass shootings are uncommon in the country, though three separate attacks at schools in Mazovia province occurred in mid-October, leaving one person dead and many wounded.

Kacper Rekawek, a senior researcher at the International Center for Counterterrorism in The Hague, observed that the attacker's military gear and appearance resembled other extreme right lone actors in Europe. He stated that while previous attempts have occurred, these kinds of attacks have now become successful in Poland.