At least six people were killed and 15 to 17 others wounded in a mass shooting on Saturday in Krakow's main market square, Polish authorities said. The gunman was shot by police and arrested, and three more bodies were later found at his home.
The attack occurred in the historic center of Krakow, a major tourist destination. Police said the dead included four women and two men, one of whom was a British citizen. The wounded included two police officers and the assailant, along with five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia, and Britain.
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said the shooter appeared to be influenced by far-right ideology, a matter that will be investigated. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the bodies of two women and one man were found at the gunman's home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, about 120 miles north of Krakow. Tusk said there were strong indications they were members of his immediate family. A drone was used to inspect the home due to potential security threats, and a significant amount of weaponry may be inside, Tusk added.
The shooting has shocked Poland, which has long considered itself safer than some Western European neighbors that have experienced similar attacks. It follows a string of school stabbings in October that authorities linked to violent extremist content online.
Local media reported that residents were evacuated from the building where the gunman lived, and counterterrorism officers entered the premises. The injured police officers were in stable condition after surgery, and the justice minister called for blood donations for one of them. The shooter was in stable but very critical condition after multiple surgeries.
Authorities continue to investigate the attack, with police and Internal Security Agency agents at the scene and the gunman's family home.