Gunman who killed 6 in Kraków attack held far-right views, Polish minister says

By Charlotte Reck, Lauren Kent, Billy Stockwell, Christina Zdanowicz, CNN

(CNN) — At least six people have been killed and 15 more wounded when a gunman opened fire from his car in the southern Polish city of Kraków on Saturday, according to authorities.

The shooting occurred at around 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET), when the suspect drove into the city’s main market square and started shooting randomly, killing four women and two men, Kraków police said.

The alleged attacker was wearing military-style clothing and used military weapons, Police Deputy Inspector Katarzyna Cisło told Polish news outlet TVN24.

He was shot and injured by police and has been transported to the hospital, police said.

The suspect, a 25-year-old Polish citizen, was the only perpetrator sought by authorities, police added.

Police found “many pieces of weapons and ammunition” in his vehicle, Cisło said.

It was not immediately clear what the gunman’s motive was for the shootings.

At a press conference, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said that the attacker was fascinated with far-right ideologies and held “very radical views,” the Associated Press reported.

Emergency services are still working at the scene, police said in another update. Police officers are among those injured.

Heavily armed police wearing helmets and tactical gear are present at the square, video footage from Reuters showed. Pedestrians can be seen walking down the street as sirens ring out in the background. Kraków’s main market square, lined with cafes and bars, is typically a busy area that is popular with tourists and locals.

Polish police set up a bus near the location of the attack for eyewitnesses to report their accounts to authorities.

Kraków’s transportation agency reported that a bullet from the shooter’s gun struck a tram, shattering the driver’s window, but causing no injuries.

Poland, like other European Union countries, has strict rules about acquiring guns and very few people are allowed to own military-style weapons or carry guns in public.

Polish Prime ​Minister ‌Donald Tusk ​said in a social media post that police are investigating ​the “tragic shooting” ⁠and that he is ⁠being ‌updated by ‌the interior ‌ministry.

President of Poland Karol Nawrocki said that the head of the country’s National Security Bureau was on his way to Kraków. “My thoughts are with the victims, those injured and their families,” he said in a statement.

Kraków mayor Łukasz Gibała declared a period of mourning in the city until November 11.

Countries neighboring Poland reacted to the attack with statements expressing support for those affected.

Czechia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended its “deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to all those affected by this brutal attack.”

Slovakia’s foreign minister Juraj Blanár said he was “deeply shocked” by the attack and that “Slovakia stands in solidarity with the Polish people at this difficult time.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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CNN’s Mitchell McCluskey contributed to this report.