Dramatic footage shows a police officer firing six shots at a gunman who opened fire in Krakow’s crowded Main Square Saturday, killing six people and injuring at least 15 others after allegedly murdering his parents and sister at their home.
The masked suspect, a 24-year-old Polish citizen whose name has not been released, reportedly began shooting randomly from a dark-colored vehicle as he drove through the city center Saturday afternoon.
Video recorded at the scene shows an officer approaching the suspect, who is lying on the ground, before firing six shots at close range as sirens sound nearby.
The wounded suspect remains on the pavement as the officer kneels beside him and appears to remove weapons. The officer then rolls onto his side and back.
Warning: This video shows a person being shot.
Police said the suspect was taken into custody after the confrontation and remains hospitalized.
“Police officers confronted an armed attacker. They did not hesitate, even though they themselves were in mortal danger,” Polska Police wrote on X.
“This is what police service is all about. Courage, responsibility and a willingness to act even when your own life is at stake.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk identified the officers as Senior Constable Jakub Kulik and Senior Constable Artur Morański, praising them as “true heroes.”
“They likely saved many lives, without regard for the risk of losing their own,” Tusk wrote on X.
Authorities said the gunman’s mother, father and sister were killed earlier that day at the family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about a two-hour drive from Krakow.
“This is truly an exceptional tragedy,” Tusk said.
Local reports said police forced their way into the apartment through balcony doors and used a drone during the operation. They discovered three bodies inside the home.
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Unverified videos posted on social media appeared to show large numbers of people fleeing Krakow’s Main Square as gunfire erupted.
In one distressing video, two people can be seen lying on bloodstained paving stones while bystanders attempt to revive them. A third person lies motionless nearby.
Police said the suspect wore military-style camouflage, a helmet and a bulletproof vest. He allegedly used an AR-15 rifle, while additional weapons and ammunition were found inside his vehicle.
“I saw shots being fired from the driver’s side window, and smoke was coming out,” a witness who identified himself only as Konrad told Polish news outlet Interia.
“I ran to the police station in the main market square. When I burst inside, it was full of people hiding on the floor.”
Four of the people killed were women and two were men.
Two police officers were also wounded during the standoff, including one who suffered serious injuries.
One officer was shot, while the other sustained three gunshot wounds and was undergoing surgery in hospital in a fight for his life.
“Police officers in Krakow intervened, risking their own lives. They acted immediately. Thanks to their heroic conduct, the assailant was quickly apprehended,” Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski wrote on X.
At an evening news conference, Kierwinski described the perpetrator as “ultra-nationalistic” with “very, very radical views,” according to Poland’s TVN24. Police said he acted alone.
Tusk offered his “deepest condolences” to the victims’ families and announced two national days of mourning.
Police said they began receiving emergency calls at around 3 p.m. local time reporting that a gunman had opened fire.
Krakow, Poland’s second-largest city, is a popular tourist destination. Social media footage showed traditional horse-drawn carriages moving through the square as chaos unfolded.
Police said five foreign nationals were among the injured and that at least one of the six people killed was a British citizen.
Authorities have so far identified a Portuguese and a Russian national among those injured.
With Post Wires
