Gunman kills six in Krakow's main square; three bodies found at his home

A 25-year-old man opened fire from a moving car in the main square of Krakow, Poland, killing six people before he was wounded and arrested in an exchange of gunfire with police, Ynet reported, citing Polish authorities. According to those authorities, the suspect held what were described as very extreme views, was wearing a protective vest, and had many weapons in his vehicle. Ynet's account characterised him as an extreme nationalist.

Poland's prime minister later disclosed that police searching the suspect's home had found three bodies. News.co.il reported that the prime minister identified them as two women and a man, and that initial assessments indicate all three were members of the suspect's family. News.co.il described the shooting as a deadly terror attack and said the investigation was continuing.

What is known about the suspect

The details released so far are limited and come from Polish officials as relayed by the two Israeli outlets. Both reports agree on the central points: a single suspect, a shooting in Krakow, an arrest, and three bodies discovered at his home afterwards. Ynet adds his age, the account of his political views, the protective vest and the weapons found in his car. News.co.il adds the breakdown of the three dead found at the house.

Neither report names the suspect, and neither gives the names, ages or nationalities of the six people killed in the square. The suspect was wounded during the confrontation with police, but the reports do not describe his condition or where he is being held.

The discovery at the home

The finding of three bodies at the suspect's residence was announced by the Polish prime minister rather than by police, according to both outlets. The two reports describe the identification of the dead with similar caution. Ynet said the bodies were probably those of his relatives; News.co.il attributed the same conclusion to initial assessments. Neither report states how the three died, when they died relative to the shooting in the square, or whether the suspect is believed responsible for their deaths. Those connections have not been established in the material available.

How the attack has been described

The two outlets frame the event somewhat differently. News.co.il refers to it as a terror shooting attack. Ynet describes it as a shooting spree and reports the authorities' assessment of the suspect's extreme nationalist views, but its report does not itself state that Polish officials have formally classified the attack as terrorism. Readers should treat the terror designation as News.co.il's characterisation until a statement from Polish authorities on the matter is reported.

Where Krakow is and why the location matters

Krakow is one of Poland's largest cities and lies in the south of the country. Its main square is the centre of the historic old town and is typically busy with residents and visitors. A shooting from a car in that space, as described by the authorities cited by Ynet, would have taken place in one of the city's most crowded public areas. The reports do not say what time of day the attack happened or how many people were present.

About the reporting

Both accounts used here are from Israeli Hebrew-language outlets. Ynet is the news website associated with the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper group. News.co.il published its update through its Telegram channel. Each relies on statements by Polish officials, chiefly the prime minister, rather than on its own reporting from the scene. The News.co.il update was posted before the Ynet article, and the Ynet piece contains additional detail about the suspect, suggesting the picture was still developing as both were written.

The Israeli coverage does not indicate whether any Israelis or Jewish visitors were among those killed or injured, and readers should not infer any connection from the fact that Israeli media reported the story.

What the reports do not say

• The identities of the suspect, the six people killed in the square and the three people found at his home have not been reported.
• No figure for people wounded in the square, beyond the suspect himself, appears in either report.
• Neither outlet reports a formal statement from Polish authorities classifying the attack as terrorism, despite News.co.il's description of it as such.
• The cause and timing of the deaths at the home, and whether the suspect is accused of them, remain unstated.
• Nothing has been reported about a possible motive beyond the authorities' description of his views, or about whether he acted alone.