An Australian student in Poland has recalled the terrifying moment he “bolted down the street” after hearing gunfire during a deadly mass shooting in Krakow.
The suspected terror attack, which left 15 people wounded, unfolded in the city’s historic Main Square. At about 3pm local time, the gunman reportedly arrived in a black Subaru and opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle at a tram, pedestrians and two horses.
Four women and two men were killed in the crowded market. The bodies of the alleged attacker’s parents and sister were later discovered at his home.
The rampage ended when a police officer, who had already been shot three times, approached the vehicle and shot the gunman at point-blank range before collapsing from his own injuries.
Poland’s interior minister said the suspect may have been influenced by “far-right ideologies” and held “very radical views”. He added that “many guns were found” in the vehicle.
Speaking to Nine’s Weekend Today, Australian Luca Nava said he had been “looking around” the Main Square with his roommate, Taylor Dorfmeister, when they “heard all these gunshots”.
Nava said the sound was “so unexpected” that he initially had no idea what was happening.
“I don’t think either of us realised they were gunshots at first because, like, you never expect gunshots.”
Australian student Luca Nava (left) was exploring the Main Square with his roommate Taylor Dorfmeister (right) when the shooting began
Police inspect a vehicle during the investigation into the fatal shooting
“But I thought they were fireworks or someone was slamming something.
“They just kept going. And then we just had to run. So, yeah, we bolted down the street.”
The 25-year-old suspect, identified locally as Michal O, is a Polish citizen believed to have been a cadet at a military school about 80 miles from Krakow. He survived the shooting and is being treated in hospital.
The injured officer underwent emergency surgery and was in “very critical” condition. A second police officer who was shot was also understood to be fighting for his life, along with several other victims.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described senior constables Jakub Kulik and Artur Morański as “true heroes” while both remained in critical condition in hospital. He did not specify which officer had confronted the gunman.
Disturbing footage from the square showed women crying beside the bodies of victims, with blood visible on the paving. Other videos showed people performing CPR on unconscious casualties as additional police officers arrived.
Unverified social media videos appeared to show the shooting taking place in the square as traditional horse-drawn carriages, a popular tourist attraction, moved through the area or stood nearby. One man was seen taking cover inside a restaurant or cafe.
The military confirmed that the suspect was not a soldier. It said the uniform and bulletproof vests he wore had been “self-assembled” and were not official equipment.
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Footage from the attack appeared to show the alleged gunman’s face
Police vehicles gather at the scene of the shooting in Poland’s second-largest city
A cache of weapons found in the Subaru’s boot included a DB carbine, a P99 pistol, a Glock pistol and a Chinese-made bulletproof vest. Some of the weapons reportedly belonged to the suspect, while others were registered to his father, in whose name the car was listed.
The suspect had no known previous criminal record.
Earlier, Prime Minister Tusk said: “My deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones of the victims of the tragic attack in Krakow. I offer the highest praise to the heroic police officers who acted at the risk of their own lives.
“And I make an urgent appeal to politicians of all stripes: do not exploit this tragedy. We will uncover all the circumstances surrounding this crime.”
Tomasz Waszczuk, from the district prosecutor’s office in the city, 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 hospital.”
Jonny Daniels, 40, a London-based Holocaust education tour guide, had left the square with a group of 30 tourists, including three Britons, just five minutes before the shooting began.
The group had been heading to the Krakow ghettos, where Jews were imprisoned during the Holocaust.
A city guard member runs near the scene of the shooting close to Krakow’s Main Market Square
People shelter inside a shop near the shooting scene as broken glass covers the floor
He said: “We were very lucky. If we had stayed a little longer, we would have been caught. Some of us definitely would have been shot.”
The group had been due to return today.
Iwona Sitnik-Kornecka, a spokeswoman for Krakow’s military hospital, said some of the injured victims were foreigners but did not reveal their nationalities.
President Karol Nawrocki said his thoughts were with the victims, those affected and their families.
He said he was “deeply concerned” and awaiting “a full explanation of the circumstances surrounding these tragic events”.
Mass shootings are rare in Poland. However, three knife attacks at schools took place within four days last month, leaving a woman dead and children among those injured.
