The Polish Prosecutor’s Office is investigating as a terrorist act the shooting committed in Krakow’s Market Square by a young Pole allegedly fascinated with far-right ideology. This event happened when the 24-year-old Pole fired randomly from a car at pedestrians and killed six people. After his arrest and searching his house, the Polish police reported that along with the deaths he caused in the center of Krakow there were also those of his parents and his sister, who were found dead in different rooms of the family home.
The Prosecutor’s Office investigation will cover the murder of four women and two men of various nationalities, including Austrian, German, Portuguese, Russian and British. “The facts constitute a crime of a terrorist nature,” indicated the statement from the Prosecutor’s Office.
The murderer, in critical condition
The suspect is in critical condition and admitted to a hospital in Krakow, while the two agents, called “heroes” by the Krakow population for having prevented more fatalities, woke up from an induced coma after undergoing surgery for gunshot wounds, although one of them is in serious condition. According to the prime minister, the rest of the 14 injured are stable.
Most of the fatalities and injuries are Polish nationals, but there are also citizens of Germany, Russia, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Austria. In addition, the Polish government has declared two days of national mourning due to the dismay following the event in the Polish city. The mourning period began last midnight with the national flags raised at half-mast.
The same suspect: nine deaths and eleven weapons
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the evidence collected indicates that “both events (the attack in the center of Krakow and the deaths of his relatives) were committed by the same person”, the 24-year-old Pole identified by the Polish media as Michał O. Officially, what is known about the detainee is that he was wearing military-type clothing, a helmet, a bulletproof vest and a camera to record his attack. In addition, he was carrying a semi-automatic rifle, other weapons and ammunition; What is striking for the investigation is that he acted alone, had no criminal record and had weapons permits. The investigation also exposes that he was “fascinated with far-right ideologies.”
The Prosecutor’s Office has also stated that during the search of the family apartment, seven firearms and a considerable amount of ammunition had been found. The latter, together with the findings from the attack in the center of Krakow, gives a total of eleven weapons.
Polish media report that those who knew Michał O. describe him as a quiet person, not very talkative and who did not draw attention to his behavior. The investigation also reports that the detainee had trained as a turner and went to shooting ranges.
