NBC News- Authorities in Poland are investigating a shooting that left six people dead and at least a 15 injured in the Main Market Square in Krakow, a cultural center of the historic city, according to officials.
Four women and two men were killed in the mid-day ambush in the city’s popular commerce and tourist destination, police said.
The shooter, a Polish national, was shot by police at the scene and taken to the hospital around 3 p.m. local time. The shots were fired from a vehicle moving through the area, Krakow officials said in a series of posts.
An earlier post from the city’s official municipal government account said that investigators were working to determine the scale of the incident. The city announced a mourning period in recognition of the tragedy through Nov. 11.
Katarzyna Cisło, a spokesperson for the Krakow police, told TVN24 that the perpetrator was wearing military-style fatigues and he used a military-type long gun in the attack. Police found many pieces of other weapons, as well as ammunition, in his car.
Dramatic video posted on social media shows what appears to be an injured police officer firing at the suspect before dropping to his knees and rolling over onto his back. The officer, who did not appear to have backup nearby, is seen struggling to reload his firearm and appeared to be clutching his right arm.
That officer’s condition was not known. Małopolska Police wrote in an X post that no officer had been killed, citing what they said were incorrect reports.
Other chilling video clips taken from the scene show a black sedan racing through the square. Dozens of people began running in various directions at the sound of gunfire.
Some social media clips depict responders attempting life-saving measures on victims. Lifeless bodies could be seen scattered around the streets after the attack.
Taylor Dorfmeister was in the square with his roommate when gunfire erupted. Dorfmeister said there was a delay before the crowd reacted and then everyone began to flee the area. He said he took shelter in a building.
“We ran up the stairs in the building to hide and it was a dead end, which is when I was the most terrified since the gunshots were [loud] and near,” Dorfmeister told NBC News.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also wrote on social media that police were trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.
“We are just learning details of the horrific mass shooting in Krakow, a savage and murderous attack that’s shattered the peace of Poland,” Tom Rose, the U.S. ambassador to Poland, wrote on X. “America stands with Poland at this dark hour as Poland stands with her beloved citizens of Krakow.”
The Main Market Square sits at the heart of Krakow’s medieval Old Town, where centuries of trade transpired under changing political and religious influences. Laid out in 1257, the sprawling plaza is home to the historic Cloth Hall and St. Mary’s Basilica.
It is considered the largest market square in Europe with history preserved in historical homes, houses of worship and ornate palaces, according to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.
Mansions throughout the square were home to Polish royalty and aristocrats. It was renamed for Adolf Hitler and served as a Nazi propaganda base during the World War II occupation of Poland.
