An Australian student in Poland has recounted the terrifying moment he “ran for his life” after gunfire erupted in Krakow as a deadly mass shooting unfolded.
The suspected terror attack, which left 15 people injured, occurred in the city’s historic main square. At around 3pm local time, the gunman allegedly arrived in a black Subaru and opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle at a tram, pedestrians and two horses.
Four women and two men were killed in the crowded market. Police later discovered the bodies of the suspect’s parents and sister at a nearby home.
The rampage ended when a police officer, despite having already been shot three times, moved towards the vehicle and fired at the suspect from close range. The officer then collapsed from his injuries.
Poland’s interior minister said the suspect appeared to have been influenced by “far-right ideologies” and held “very radical views”. He added that officers had found numerous firearms inside the vehicle.
Speaking to Nine’s Weekend Today, Australian Luca Nava said he had been exploring Krakow’s Main Square with his roommate, Taylor Dorfmeister, when they suddenly heard what sounded like repeated bangs.
Nava said the sound was so unexpected that neither of them immediately understood what was happening.
“I don’t think either of us realised they were gunshots at first because, like, you never expect gunshots.
Australian student Luca Nava (left) was exploring Main Square with his roommate, Taylor Dorfmeister (right), when the shooting began
Police inspect a vehicle as they investigate the fatal shooting
“I thought they might have been fireworks or someone banging into something.
“But they just kept going. Then we realised we had to run, so we bolted down the street.”
The 25-year-old suspect, identified locally as Michal O, is a Polish citizen who was reportedly a cadet at a military school around 80 miles from Krakow. He survived the shooting and remains in hospital.
The officer who confronted him underwent emergency surgery and was in a “very critical” condition. Another policeman who was shot was also reportedly fighting for his life, along with several other victims.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described senior constables Jakub Kulik and Artur Morański as “true heroes” as both remained in critical condition. He did not identify which officer had approached the suspect’s car.
Distressing footage from the square showed women crying beside the victims’ bodies, with blood visible on the paving stones. Other images showed people performing CPR on unconscious casualties as additional police officers rushed to the scene.
Unverified social media videos appeared to capture the moment shots rang out across the square, where traditional horse-drawn carriages used by tourists were passing or parked nearby. One man was seen taking shelter inside a restaurant or cafe.
The military said the suspect was not a serving soldier. The uniform and bulletproof vests he wore were described as “self-assembled” and not official military equipment.
Footage from the attack appeared to show the alleged gunman’s face
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Police vehicles gather at the scene in Poland’s second-largest city
A substantial weapons cache found in the Subaru’s boot included a DB carbine, a P99 pistol, a Glock pistol and a Chinese-made bulletproof vest. Reports indicated that some of the weapons belonged to the suspect, while others were registered to his father, who owned the car.
The suspect had no known criminal record.
Prime Minister Tusk said: “My deepest condolences go to the families and loved ones of those killed in the tragic attack in Krakow. I offer my highest praise to the heroic police officers who acted at the risk of their own lives.
“I also make an urgent appeal to politicians of every persuasion: do not exploit this tragedy. We will establish all the circumstances surrounding this crime.”
Tomasz Waszczuk, from the city’s district prosecutor’s office, said the evidence suggested the gunman had targeted people at random.
“Everything points to the fact that he opened fire on random people. I can confirm that there are six fatalities,” he said.
“More than a dozen people suffered injuries of varying severity and are currently receiving treatment in hospital.”
Jonny Daniels, a 40-year-old London-based Holocaust education tour guide, had left the square with a group of 30 tourists, including three Britons, just five minutes before the shooting started.
The group had been travelling to visit the Krakow ghettos, where Jewish people were imprisoned during the Holocaust.
A city guard member runs near the scene of the shooting beside Krakow’s main market square
People shelter inside a shop near the shooting scene as broken glass covers the floor
“We were very lucky. If we had stayed a little longer, we would have been caught. Some of us definitely would have been shot,” Daniels said.
His group was scheduled to return to the square the following day.
Iwona Sitnik-Kornecka, a spokeswoman for Krakow’s military hospital, said some of the injured victims were foreign nationals but did not reveal their identities or nationalities.
President Karol Nawrocki said his thoughts were with the victims, those affected by the attack and their families.
He said he was “deeply concerned” and awaiting “a full explanation of the circumstances surrounding these tragic events”.
Mass shootings are rare in Poland. However, three knife attacks at schools occurred within four days last month, leaving a woman dead and several children among those injured.