On Saturday afternoon, around 15:00, a man armed with a military-type rifle drove his car into the central square of Krakow and started firing at passers-by. The toll is devastating: six people killed, including four women, and 15 injured, including police officers. The attacker, a 24-year-old Polish citizen, was shot and detained. The reasons remain, for now, a mystery.

(Staff: Poland / Justice & Security)

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Krakow, one of the most beautiful and most visited cities in Poland, was the scene of a nightmare on Saturday afternoon. At 15:00 local time, amid the busy weekend crowds, a man drove a car into the central square (Rynek Główny), one of the largest medieval markets in Europe, and started shooting at people at random.

Timeline of a tragedy

According to the police in the Małopolska region, the attacker opened fire from his car, sowing panic among passers-by. Witnesses described apocalyptic scenes: people fleeing in all directions, screams, and the continuous noise of gunfire. A witness told the local press that he heard around 20 gunshots and that the attacker had also fired at a tram, breaking the windshield, without the tram driver or passengers being injured.

Law enforcement promptly intervened. The attacker was intercepted at the intersection of Dietla and Stradomska streets, where a gun battle took place. The police shot the aggressor, who returned fire, injuring two officers. One of the policemen is in critical condition after being shot three times. The attacker was neutralized and transported to the hospital under guard.

The death toll

Initially, authorities reported five deaths, but the figure was quickly revised. According to the latest official report, Six people were killed: Four women and two men. Other 15 people were injured, including the two policemen involved in the exchange of fire. The victims are being cared for in hospitals in Krakow, and the authorities have not yet provided information about their condition.

Who is the attacker?

Police confirmed that the suspect is a Polish citizen aged 24 years, who acted alone. He was dressed in military-style clothes and used a long, military-type weapon. In his car, investigators discovered a significant amount of other weapons and ammunition. The police denied the information that appeared in the public space regarding a possible second attacker or the death of a policeman, emphasizing that no other people are being sought.

The reasons for the attack remain unknown. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Platform X that he is being kept informed by the Minister of the Interior and that the police are investigating “the context and all the circumstances of the attack”. Polish President Karol Nawrocki expressed his “enormous concern” and called for full explanations.

Reactions and solidarity

The tragedy shocked the whole of Poland. Prime Minister Tusk announced that he was traveling to the scene, and the mayor of Krakow, Lukasz Gibala, activated a crisis cell at the town hall and asked the citizens to remain calm. Messages of solidarity also came from the Romanian authorities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that, until this moment, the Polish authorities have not confirmed the existence of Romanian citizens among the victims, and the Romanian Embassy in Warsaw is in contact with the local authorities.

A climate marked by violence

This bloody attack comes in a tense context for Poland. Last month, a series of knife attacks put the country on alert, and Prime Minister Tusk attributed these incidents to a “cult of violence” that also reached Poland. Krakow, a city that attracts millions of tourists annually, was considered one of the safest places in the region. Now, the central square, the symbol of the city, has become the scene of a tragedy that will leave deep wounds in the collective memory.

Conclusion

A 24-year-old man, dressed in military clothes and armed with an assault rifle, turned a weekend afternoon into a massacre. Six people have died and fifteen are injured, including police officers who risked their lives to stop the attack. The reasons remain obscure, but the investigation has only just begun. For Krakow, a city whose economy depends on tourism and its reputation for safety, this attack is a wound that will be difficult to heal. And for Poland, it is a new alarm signal about the violence that appears to be spreading through more and more of public life.