Kraków shooter is a 24-year-old Pole, Czech police step up patrols

The gunman who killed six people on Kraków's main square is a 24-year-old Polish citizen. There are no Czechs among the dead or wounded, the Czech Foreign Ministry has said. Czech police are stepping up patrols on busy streets in response, although, according to their information, the attack has no link to Czechia.

What is known about the attacker

According to Polish police, at around 3 p.m. on Saturday a car drove onto the Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) in Kraków's historic centre, and a man in the vehicle opened fire on random passersby. Witnesses counted between 20 and 30 shots, and panic broke out on the square. Polish media report that he was firing a rifle.

Photos and video taken after his arrest show the man wearing a camouflage military uniform with a Polish patch on the left shoulder and a dark tactical helmet. Police have established that he is 24 and ethnically Polish. The attacker was neutralised and taken to hospital, where he, like a seriously wounded police officer, had to undergo surgery.

According to the latest figures, six people were killed — four women and two men — and 15 were wounded, including three police officers. Poland's Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said one officer was hit by a bullet, while another ended up on the operating table in serious condition after being shot three times. The minister noted that the attacker was detained quickly thanks to the heroism of the officers, who intervened immediately.

Initial reports also spoke of a second shooting site at the intersection of Stradomska and Dietla streets, and of possibly two perpetrators. Police later denied that they are searching for another attacker. In addition, according to the city's transport operator, a line 1 tram came under fire: a bullet shattered the driver's cab window, but no one was hurt.

Reaction from Czechia and the Polish prime minister

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said investigators are “examining the motives and all the circumstances of the attack.” Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš expressed full support for Poland and Tusk and wished the wounded a speedy recovery. Martin Kupka (ODS) also offered his condolences.

Czech Foreign Ministry spokesman Adam Čörgő told ČTK that diplomats have no information about any Czech citizens being injured. That matters for Czechia: Kraków is less than two hours' drive from Ostrava and Český Těšín, and its centre is a popular destination for Czech tourists.

What measures Czech police are taking

According to Czech police, there will be more officers with long guns on the streets, primarily in places where crowds gather. In addition, technical barriers may be set up at mass events: police will agree on their placement at planned cultural events with local authorities on a case-by-case basis.

Police stressed that, based on the information available, there is no direct link between the Kraków shooting and Czechia, and that the measures are preventive.

Earlier on this topic: Massacre on Kraków's Market Square: death toll rises to six

Around Prague, based on reporting by zpravy.aktualne.cz