Krakow Market Shooting: Cadet Identified as Suspect
A 25-year-old military student killed six people at a Polish market and three family members at his home before being shot by police.
By Jenna Mitchell ·
Police in Krakow, Poland, shot and neutralized a gunman who killed six people at a crowded market on Saturday. The suspect, identified as Michal O, is a 25-year-old Polish citizen and a cadet at a military school approximately 80 miles from the city. He was transported to a hospital in serious condition after officers fired at him at close range.
The attack occurred at 3 p.m. local time when the suspect opened fire from a black Subaru. He targeted a tram, pedestrians, and two horses. The gunfire killed four women and two men. Among the deceased is one British citizen. Fifteen other individuals were wounded in the incident.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that three more bodies were found at the suspect's home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, located about 150 kilometers northeast of Krakow. The victims are believed to be his parents and sister, though authorities have not yet confirmed the specific circumstances of their deaths. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski stated that the attacker was fascinated by far-right ideologies and held very radical views.
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz clarified that the suspect was not a soldier and had no formal connection to the military. He wore military-style gear and used military-grade weapons, specifically an AR-15 rifle, according to police officer Andrzej Fijolek. The suspect held a firearms license, and the weapons likely originated from his father's collection of guns.
Two police officers, Jakub Kulik and Artur Moranski, who apprehended the suspect, are fighting for their lives in the hospital. Tusk described them as true heroes. Five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia, and Britain were also injured in the shooting.
Neighbors described the suspect as a quiet and polite resident. One neighbor told Polish media, "We can't say anything bad about him." Another added, "He'd walk around with his hood up, say 'good morning.' I can't say a bad word about him."
District prosecutor Tomasz Waszczuk confirmed that the suspect opened fire on random people. He verified that there are six fatalities from the market attack and that more than a dozen people are hospitalized with injuries of varying severity. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was shocked and saddened by the shooting and expressed solidarity with Poland.
