Kraków shooting suspect dies in hospital; motive still under investigation
The 24-year-old suspect in Saturday’s shooting in Kraków’s Main Market Square died in hospital early Monday, Polish police said. Six people were killed and 15 or 16 wounded, depending on the outlet. Prosecutors are investigating a terrorist offense, and officials have urged restraint on the motive.
Bias breakdown and outlet coverageon the RUSH story page →What happened
On Saturday, Nov. 7, a gunman drove into Kraków’s Main Market Square and opened fire, killing four women and two men, CNN reported, citing Kraków police. The Guardian said 16 people were injured; CNN and NBC News reported 15 wounded or “more than a dozen.” Early Saturday reports put the toll at five dead and 12 injured before it was revised.
The Guardian reported that the victims included a 32-year-old British man and a 51-year-old Austrian woman; the other four were Polish. The suspect, a 24-year-old Polish national who has not been officially named, was shot by police and taken to hospital in critical condition. The Guardian, citing a post by Małopolska police, reported that he died early Monday.
Motive and investigation
NBC News reported that Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek said the gunman “acted with the aim of seriously intimidating a large number of people, making this a terrorist offence.” Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said on Saturday that the suspect was fascinated with far-right ideologies and held “very radical” views, according to The Guardian.
NBC News reported that officials appeared to step back from that description after nationalist opposition politicians questioned its basis, and that government spokesman Adam Szlapka urged people to refrain from comment until authorities have complete information. Żurek said the investigation will continue to determine whether the gunman acted alone or was inspired by any group, telling Radio Zet, “Evidence is being collected, but I will not show or disclose it. I ask for restraint.”
Fox News reported that authorities said the gunman held far-right views, though investigators have not publicly established a motive. CNN reported that an interior ministry spokesperson said emblems on his clothing are being analyzed by specialists.
The suspect’s family and the police response
Police found the bodies of the suspect’s father, mother and sister at the family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 100 miles northeast of Kraków, The Guardian reported. CNN reported that Poland’s prosecutor’s office said it is “highly likely” the same person carried out those killings and that 11 firearms were recovered from both sites.
The Guardian reported that two police officers, Jakub Kulik and Artur Morański, were hailed as heroes for stopping the gunman and were brought out of medically induced comas on Sunday. Poland observed two days of national mourning, according to The Guardian.
Why this matters
CNN reported that Poland has strict gun laws, and The Guardian said the attack shocked a country considered safer than many of its European neighbors. Officials have said the motive is under investigation, and the evidence behind the far-right description has not been made public.