Poland mourns victims of mass shooting as security fears grow

KRAKOW: Poland began two days of national mourning on Sunday and police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Krakow that the government said was likely inspired by far-right ideology. Saturday's attack in the city's historic main square shocked a country that has prided itself on being safer than many of its Western European neighbours, deepening public concern following a string of school stabbings in October that officials linked to extremist content online.
Sixteen people were wounded in the attack, including ⁠two police officers and the suspected gunman, a 24-year-old Polish man who remained in a critical condition in hospital, local authorities said. Krakow's old ⁠town is a Unesco World Heritage Site that attracts visitors from around the globe, and several foreigners were among the casualties. One of the people who died was identified as a British citizen, while five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain were among the wounded.
In the suspect's home town, ‌Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, about 200 km north of Krakow, police later found the bodies ​of his parents and sister at ⁠his home. Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Daniel Prokopowicz said it was 'highly likely' that the killings in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski and Krakow were ​carried out by the same person, but that investigations ‌were ongoing.
The bodies had gunshot wounds, and seven firearms and a 'significant' quantity of ammunition were recovered from the property, Prokopowicz added. 'When combined with findings made elsewhere in Krakow, this brings the total to 11 firearms - which ​aligns with our records regarding the number of weapons for which permits had been issued, both to the perpetrator and his father,' he said.
In Krakow, the old town's main market square and the surrounding streets remained closed, with police allowing only essential workers to pass. Many nearby cafes were closed and flags at the city hall were at half-mast. Mourners placed candles in several locations in the area. The traditional hourly trumpet call from St ‌Mary's church on the square was suspended for 12 hours to commemorate the dead, the first time this has happened since 1939, state news ​agency PAP reported. In the capital, Warsaw, police said on Saturday they were strengthening security measures in busy areas popular with tourists. Barriers were installed on ​streets leading onto the Krakowskie ⁠Przedmiescie street in the historic heart of the capital.
In Krakow, locals and tourists spoke of their shock on Sunday. 'This is terrible for me, that (this) can happen in Poland because it's never happened like this in Poland... I think that this can be a new era ​in my country,' local resident Witold Slowikowski said. In Warsaw, Maria, a 20-year-old cafe employee, said she 'almost burst ⁠into tears' when ​she heard about the shooting. 'Recent events - not just this one, but things happening lately - are really affecting our sense of security,' she said.
Officials and members of the public also praised the actions of police officers who apprehended the gunman after a close-range shootout. Police issued an urgent appeal for ​blood for one of the two injured officers who was 'fighting for his life in hospital'. 'Senior Constable Jakub Kulik and Senior ​Constable Artur Moranski are true heroes,' Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Saturday in a post on X. 'They likely saved many human lives, disregarding the risk to their own.' — Reuters