6 Dead, 15 Injured in Krakow Market Square Shooting, Police Say

Six people were killed and 15 others were injured Saturday after a gunman opened fire near Krakow's Main Market Square, according to regional police cited by ABC News. The suspected shooter was shot and wounded by police at the scene.

What happened in Krakow's Main Market Square?

A man drove a car near the historic square and began firing at random people around 3 p.m. local time, Malopolska Police said. The shooting occurred near Slawkowska Street, just off the main square. "Initial information suggests that the shots were fired from a passing vehicle," the local government said, according to ABC News.

How many people were killed and injured?

Of the six people killed, four were women and two were men, police said. Three of the women were Polish, one was a British citizen, and two victims had not yet been identified, according to the report. Sixteen people were taken to Krakow hospitals, including five foreign nationals; 13 arrived as the most serious emergency cases, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said at a briefing. Eleven of the injured are Polish and five are foreign nationals, police said. Two police officers were among the wounded.

What do authorities know about the suspect?

The unidentified gunman was wearing military-style camouflage clothing, though not an official uniform, and was reportedly armed with an AR-15-style rifle, Krakow police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło told ABC News. Kierwinski said the attacker was not a soldier and that the clothing "anyone can buy in a shop." Police found a variety of weapons and ammunition inside the vehicle he had been driving, Cisło said. National police commander Marek Boron said the suspect and his family possessed sports firearms.

What was found at the suspect's home?

Counterterrorism officers who searched the shooter's home found two women and one man dead inside, Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters. Investigators are still working to confirm the relationships, but Tusk said "there are strong indications that they were immediate family members." He called the episode "indeed, an extraordinary tragedy," according to ABC News.

Is this being investigated as extremism?

Preliminary findings suggest the gunman was "influenced by far-right ideology," Kierwinski said at the briefing. Police are also examining whether the suspect had ties to extremist groups or acted with help from others, he said. Malopolska Police said the attacker was a Polish citizen and denied reports that a second suspect was involved.

What do the terms in the police briefings mean?

Authorities and reporters used several terms worth defining. "Counterterrorism officers" are specialized police units in Poland tasked with searching locations tied to suspected politically or ideologically motivated violence. "Far-right ideology," as used by Kierwinski, refers to the preliminary characterization investigators have given the suspect's beliefs, not a confirmed legal finding. "Sports firearms," cited by commander Marek Boron, describes weapons legally registered for shooting-range or hunting use under Polish law, distinct from military-issue arms.

Polish officials said the investigation into the shooting, the deaths inside the suspect's home, and any possible links to outside groups remains active.