Shooting in Kraków: attacker had a firearms permit and had not come to the police’s attention
Kyiv • UNN
A 24-year-old Polish man killed six people and wounded 15 in central Kraków. Police are establishing the motive; the defense minister denied that he had served in the army.
Polish police have released new details about the perpetrator who carried out a shooting in central Krakow on Saturday afternoon. It has been confirmed that the attacker had a valid firearms license and had not previously come to the attention of law enforcement, UNN reports, citing RMF24.
Context
Dramatic events unfolded on Saturday at around 3:00 p.m. near the Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) in Krakow. Shots were fired from a black Subaru that entered the square from Sławkowska Street. The perpetrator opened fire on random passers-by, killing four women and two men. Fifteen people were injured, including two police officers.
The attacker was detained at the intersection of Dietla and Stradomska streets after a shootout with police. Videos that have appeared online show the man continuing to fire at law enforcement officers even after falling to the ground.
Details
According to the latest police data, the perpetrator is a 24-year-old Polish citizen from the city of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Police spokesperson Inspector Andrzej Fijołek said on TVN24 that the man had a gun license and had not previously had any problems with the law. Police are currently establishing the motive for his actions. Fijołek noted that the man’s clothing — a camouflage uniform — indicates that his actions had been planned in advance. The perpetrator used a civilian version of an AR-15 rifle. After information about the attacker’s weapon and clothing appeared online, speculation arose that he might be a serviceman.
We would add
Polish Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz denied these reports.
"I categorically deny the information that has appeared in the public sphere claiming that the attacker who carried out today’s attack in Krakow was a serviceman of the Polish Armed Forces. This man was not and is not a serviceman of the Polish Armed Forces and has never had anything to do with the army," the minister wrote.