A 25-year-old military cadet with far-right ideologies shot dead six people in a market in Krakow, Poland, on Saturday, before being neutralised by police. The attack, which left 15 wounded, also claimed the life of one British citizen.
The suspect, locally identified as Michal O, a Polish citizen believed to be a cadet at a military school about 80 miles from Krakow, reportedly drove to the city dressed in military-style gear. He opened fire at about 3pm local time, targeting a tram, pedestrians and two horses from a black Subaru.
Attack details and casualties
Four women and two men were killed in the shooting, including one British citizen. Five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain were injured. The suspect was shot at close range by a police officer and taken to hospital in serious condition.
Krakow police reported that the alleged terrorist was wearing a bulletproof vest, and additional weapons and ammunition were found in his vehicle. Two policemen who apprehended the suspect, Jakub Kulik and Artur Morański, are fighting for their lives in hospital.
Investigation and background
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that two women and a man were found dead at the suspect's home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, around 150km north-east of Krakow. They are believed to be his parents and sister, but the authorities have not publicly established the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Interior minister Marcin Kierwinski said the attacker was 'fascinated by Far-Right ideologies' and had 'very radical views'. Defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said he was not a soldier and had no connection with the military, and the weapons likely came from his own family's home. Police officer Andrzej Fijolek told TVN 24 that the gunman used an AR-15 rifle and held a firearms licence.
Reaction and response
Prime Minister Tusk labelled the two police officers 'true heroes'. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was 'shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting', adding his thoughts were with the victims. 'The United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the people of Poland,' he said.
Neighbours described the suspect as a 'polite, quiet guy', with one telling a journalist 'we can't say anything bad about him.' Tomasz Waszczuk, of the district prosecutor's office, said: 'Everything points to the fact that he opened fire on random people. I can confirm that there are six fatalities. More than a dozen people sustained injuries of varying severity and are currently in the hospital.'
