Gunman who killed 9 in Poland held ‘ultranationalistic' views, officials say

A gunman described as having “ultranationalistic” beliefs killed three relatives in his home, as well as six-others whom he shot while driving through a public square in Krakow, Poland, officials said, in what the country’s defense minister characterized as a “terror attack” Saturday.

The relatives were found dead at the shooter’s home after he opened fire in Krakow’s Main Market Square, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. Four women and two men were killed in the midday attack in the city’s popular commerce and tourist destination, police said.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński identified the shooter as a man in his mid-20s from the nearby Świętokrzyskie region. He used an automatic rifle, Kierwiński said, describing him as having “ultranationalistic” views.

“Everything indicates he was fascinated by far-right ideologies,” he said.

The shooter’s relatives, found in an apartment in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, are believed to be his parents and sister, according to Andrzej Fijołek, deputy inspector of Police National Headquarters.

The discovery of the bodies at the residence just outside Krakow added another layer to the investigation into the attack at the square, which also left at least 15 people injured.

Two police officers were seriously wounded in the shooting, officials said. Tusk named the officers and described them as acting selflessly as the sound of gunfire sent market crowds running.

“Senior constable Jakub Kulik and senior constable Artur Moranski are true heroes,” the prime minister said. “They likely saved lots of lives while risking their own lives. Their conditions are serious but they are in good hands. All of Poland has their fingers crossed for you.”

One of the officers was was described earlier as undergoing surgery. He was shot three times, according to an earlier statement from Kierwiński.

The attacker, 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 on X.

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.

Four of the dead in the city center attack have been identified, though their names were not released, Polish authorities said. They include three Polish nationals and a foreigner from the U.K., Krakow police and the U.K. Foreign Secretary said.

An Interior ⁠Ministry spokesperson said foreign nationals from Austria, ‌Germany, Portugal, ‌Russia and Britain are among the injured.⁠

The U.S. State Department said it was not aware of any American citizens harmed in the violence.

Katarzyna Cisło, a spokesperson for the Krakow police, told TVN24 that the gunman was wearing military-style fatigues and used a military-type long gun in the attack. Police found other weapons, as well as ammunition, in his car.

Video posted on social media shows what appears to be an injured police officer firing at the gunman 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.

It was unclear whether the officer seen in the video is the same one mentioned in the interior minister’s update. 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 car racing through the square. Dozens of people begin running in various directions at the sound of gunfire.

Police exchanged gunfire with the attacker as he went on a “wild ride” through the square, which is why victims were found in various locations, police officials said. The shooter continued to fire at officers after he was struck, but he was ultimately subdued, they said.

Some social media clips show responders attempting lifesaving measures on victims. Lifeless bodies could be seen scattered around the streets after the attack.

Taylor Dorfmeister, a 21-year-old American student studying in Italy who was visiting Poland, 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.

It sounded to Dorfmeister like the gunfire was coming from the first floor of the building where he hid. The student from Santa Cruz, California, was “fully prepared for the worst” based on the proximity of the noise, he said.

“This is it,” Dorfmeister thought. “Like, there’s nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.”

“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.

The Associated Press, Michael Fiorentino, Marin Scott, Corky Siemaszko, Reuters and Jean-Nicholas Fievet contributed.