An Australian student in Poland described the moment he "bolted down the street" after hearing gunshots during a suspected terror attack in Krakow's main square. The incident, which occurred around 3 p.m. local time, saw an assailant drive up in a black Subaru and fire an AR-15-style rifle at pedestrians, a tram, and horses.
Six people died and 15 were injured in the attack. The gunman, identified as Michal O, a Polish citizen and cadet at a military school, fired on random people before being shot by a police officer. The suspect survived and is hospitalized.
Australian student Luca Nava was in the Main Square with his roommate, Taylor Dorfmeister, when they heard what they initially mistook for fireworks or loud noises. "They just kept going. And then like, we just got to run. So yeah, we bolted down the street," Nava told Nine's Weekend Today.
The suspect, who had no prior criminal record, reportedly had "very radical views" and may have been inspired by far-right ideologies, according to Poland's interior minister. Authorities found a large cache of weapons in the suspect's car, including a DB carbine, a P99 pistol, and a Glock pistol. The uniform and bulletproof vests he wore were reportedly self-assembled.
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the "heroic police officers" who responded, with one officer, despite being shot multiple times, apprehending the gunman. Two officers, Jakub Kulik and Artur Morański, remain in critical condition.
Images from the scene showed distress among bystanders and emergency services performing CPR. Jonny Daniels, a Holocaust education tour guide who had been in the square with a group of tourists minutes before the shooting, noted their "very lucky" escape. Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland, though the country has experienced other violent incidents recently.