A gunman who killed at least six people in a shooting rampage in the Polish city of Kraków on Saturday has died in hospital, police said on Monday.
The Polish citizen, in his 20s, was shot and wounded by police during the attack and taken to hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries. He had been in critical condition before his death. Police have not identified him.
Kraków police said the gunman drove into the city's main market square, a place popular with tourists and locals, and began firing randomly at people, initially from his car, on Saturday afternoon. He killed four women and two men and injured 16 others, including two police officers. The rare mass shooting prompted national mourning and heightened security in Poland.
Police Deputy Inspector Katarzyna Cisło said the attacker wore military-style clothing and used military weapons. Weapons and ammunition were also found in his vehicle.
The bodies of his sister, mother and father were later found at the suspect's home in the town of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 120 miles northeast of Kraków. Poland's prosecutor's office said on Sunday it was highly likely the same person carried out those killings, though investigations were continuing. A spokesperson said 11 firearms were recovered from the two sites.
Little is known about the gunman, and his motive was not immediately clear. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the shooter was fascinated with far-right ideologies and held very radical views. Authorities said the attack was likely driven by far-right ideology and are investigating it as a possible terror attack. Interior ministry spokesperson Karolina Galecka said on Monday that emblems on his clothing were being examined by experts.
The suspect was a member of a shooting club and appeared to be a highly skilled marksman, club spokesperson Adam Chyb said. Poland, like other European Union countries, has strict rules on acquiring guns, and very few people are allowed to own military-style weapons or carry guns in public. About 411,000 people hold gun permits in the country of more than 37 million.
An off-duty surgeon, Michal Pedziwiatr, rushed to the scene after hearing what sounded like gunshots and, with a friend who is also a surgeon, began treating the wounded. He said his friend, Mateusz Wierdak, saved the life of a police officer who had subdued the attacker by applying pressure to the bleeding wound without gloves or protective gear and packing gauze into the chest cavity. Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the two wounded officers for also saving many lives. They underwent surgery and remain in hospital.
Source: CNN
