A 25-year-old man believed to be a military school cadet, who neighbours described as a quiet and polite individual, has been identified as the suspect behind a deadly shooting in Poland’s historic city of Krakow. Dressed in military-style fatigues and armed with an assault rifle, the gunman allegedly drove through the city’s busy Main Market Square on Saturday, opening fire at pedestrians and other targets.The attack left six people dead, including a British national, and 15 others injured. Police eventually shot and wounded the suspect, who was taken to hospital for treatment. Polish authorities have described the incident as an act of terror, with the country’s interior minister saying preliminary findings point to the man’s fascination with far-right ideologies and his ultranationalistic views.
Military cadet with far-right views
According to the Daily Mail, the suspect was dressed in military-style fatigues when he drove a black Subaru into Krakow’s Main Market Square at around 3pm local time. He allegedly opened fire using an AR-15-style assault rifle, targeting a tram, pedestrians and two horses.The Independent reported that the 25-year-old drove to multiple locations within the square, firing an automatic weapon at each stop. He was also wearing a bulletproof vest, according to Krakow police spokesperson Katarzyna Cislo. Police subsequently found additional weapons and ammunition inside his vehicle.Although authorities have not officially released his identity, interior minister Marcin Kierwinski said the suspect held ‘very radical’ and ‘ultranationalistic’ views.“Everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies,” Kierwinski said at a news conference.Neighbours, however, described the suspect as an unremarkable and quiet individual, saying they had not noticed anything suspicious about his behaviour.“A polite, quiet guy. We can’t say anything bad about him,” residents of his apartment building told Polish media, according to the Daily Mail.
Family members found dead at home
In another development, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said authorities had discovered the bodies of three people, two women and a man, at the suspect’s family home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, around 150km north-east of Krakow.The victims are believed to be the suspect’s close family members. However, authorities have not publicly established the circumstances surrounding their deaths.Meanwhile, footage from the shooting showed a police officer approaching the suspect, who was lying on the road, and firing several shots at close range. The officer, who had reportedly already been hit three times, subsequently collapsed after being seriously wounded.Two police officers were seriously injured in the incident, with both remaining in critical condition, according to the Daily Mail. The suspect also sustained injuries and underwent surgery.The attack has shocked Poland, where mass shootings are relatively uncommon. Krakow Mayor Lukasz Gibala announced official mourning in the city until Wednesday, while assuring residents and visitors that the city would remain open.
