It was a normal Saturday afternoon in Krakow, Poland. Tourists were taking pictures, families were walking, and traders were selling in the famous Main Market Square.
Nobody knew that a 24-year-old man had already killed three people before he arrived there.
Police say the man, identified as Michal O., first killed his own family at their home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski - his 53-year-old father, his 52-year-old mother, and his 21-year-old sister.
After that, he drove almost 200 kilometres to Krakow.
Around 3pm, he drove his black car into the Main Square, came out wearing military clothes and a bullet-proof vest, carrying an AR-15 rifle, and started shooting people randomly.
People ran for their lives as gunshots filled the square. Videos online showed people fleeing while police sirens blared.
Before police could stop him, he had killed 6 people in the square - 4 women and 2 men, including a 32-year-old British man and a 51-year-old Austrian woman. About 15 to 17 others were injured, including two police officers who confronted him in a 20-minute shootout.
Police shot the gunman and arrested him. He was taken to hospital in critical condition, but on Monday morning, police confirmed he had died.
When police searched his car and house, they found 11 firearms and plenty of ammunition. He had a gun licence and was a member of a shooting club.
Poland's Interior Minister said the man was fascinated by far-right ideologies and held very radical views. The government is now investigating the attack as a possible terrorist attack.
Poland has declared two days of national mourning. People have been dropping candles and flowers in the square to honour the victims.
It is the deadliest shooting in Poland in over 30 years, and it has shocked a country that is known for very strict gun laws.
In total, 9 innocent people lost their lives - 3 at home, and 6 in the square.
You must be logged in to post a comment.