A gunman opened fire from a moving vehicle at a popular tourist destination in Kraków on Saturday, killing six people and wounding at least eleven others, Małopolska Police confirmed. The attack erupted in the city’s bustling Main Square.

The six people killed included four women and two men, according to police. Authorities said civilians and police officers were injured as the gunman allegedly fired at people at random.

Video shared on social media captured people running as gunshots echoed through the area. Police eventually shot and wounded the suspect during an exchange of gunfire, and authorities later announced that the area had been secured.

Katarzyna Cisło, a spokesperson for Kraków police, told Polish network TVN24 that the suspect wore military style fatigues and used a military style rifle. Police identified him only as a “citizen of the Republic of Poland.”

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Authorities discovered numerous additional weapons and ammunition inside the suspect’s car, Cisło said. Police did not identify any second attacker, despite reports suggesting that another perpetrator might be on the loose.

Małopolska Police released a statement Saturday afternoon rejecting reports that a police officer had died. Officials also denied that authorities were searching for another suspect in connection with the deadly attack.

“The only known perpetrator of the incident is in police custody,” officials said. The statement sought to clarify the situation as emergency crews and law enforcement personnel remained concentrated around Main Square.

A public train driver reported around 3 p.m. local time that a man traveling in a moving car had fired at his vehicle. The gunfire shattered the driver’s window.

Police vehicles, ambulances and a Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter surrounded the scene in Poland’s second largest city. Emergency responders gathered near the Main Market Square as authorities secured the location and investigated the shooting.

Polish Police said National Police Commander Inspector General Marek Boroń was traveling to Kraków following the attack. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said investigators were examining the gunman’s background and the details surrounding the violence.

“My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the tragic attack in Kraków. My highest praise for the heroic police officers who risked their lives,” Tusk wrote on X.

Tusk also urged politicians across the political spectrum not to exploit the killings. He pledged that authorities would establish all the circumstances surrounding the crime.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki said he was deeply concerned by reports from central Kraków and that his thoughts were with the victims, injured people and their families. He said he remained in contact with relevant services and expected a complete explanation of what happened.

Nawrocki also announced that the head of Poland’s National Security Bureau was traveling to Kraków to investigate. United States Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose offered American support in a social media statement.

“We are just learning details of the horrific mass shooting in Kraków, a savage and murderous attack that’s shattered the peace of Poland,” Rose wrote. “America stands with Poland at this dark hour as Poland stands with her beloved citizens of Kraków.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as “shocking” and extended condolences to the victims’ loved ones. “There can be no justification for this attack, and we trust the perpetrator will face justice,” Zelensky wrote.

Zelensky wished strength and a speedy recovery to the wounded and everyone affected. He said Ukraine stood in solidarity with Poland and the Polish people, adding that people have a right to safety.

Shootings are exceedingly rare in Poland, which ranks among the countries with the world’s lowest rates of gun related deaths. Research conducted by Medical University of Gdansk researchers placed the rate at 0.2 to 0.4 deaths per 100,000 residents.

The bloodshed comes amid a constitutional crisis involving Tusk’s government, which supports the European Union, and Poland’s national conservative opposition. Nawrocki’s election from the opposition has contributed to a parliamentary deadlock as he uses veto power to block prospective tribunal leaders, leaving the Constitutional Tribunal paralyzed.

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