Krakow shooting suspect dies in hospital after killing six

A gunman suspected of killing six people in Krakow has died in hospital, Polish police say.

The 24-year-old, who ministers said was apparently inspired by "far-right ideologies", was injured after opening fire in central Krakow, the second largest city in Poland, on Saturday.

Armed officers raced to the scene and engaged in a gunfight with the suspect, who was shot within three minutes of the attack beginning, preventing a further massacre, officials said.

Krakow police said the suspected gunman died early on Monday morning.

After the shooting, which began shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) in Krakow's busy Main Market Square, police identified the attacker as a 24-year-old Polish man but did not confirm his name.

In the hours after the shooting, a minister has said early investigations indicate he was inspired by "far-right ideologies". The minister also described him as an "ultra-nationalist" without giving further details.

Six people - four women and two men - are confirmed to have been killed in the attack.

Four victims are Polish, while a British national and an Austrian woman were also killed.

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said three bodies - two women and one man - were found at the gunman's house when it was searched after the attack.

On Sunday, Polish police confirmed those three victims had been identified as the alleged gunman's 53-year-old father, 52-year-old mother and his sister, who was 21 years old.

Polish media has reported the suspect had a firearms permit and may have obtained the weapons from his family home.

Sixteen people, including five foreigners, two police officers and the attacker, were taken to hospital. The interior ministry later said they were from Austria, Britain, Germany, Portugal and Russia.

In the wake of the shooting, Poland declared the country would enter two days of national mourning.

After travelling to Krakow, Tusk said: "Until now in Poland we haven't had such drastic cases of terrorism...that's what we have to call this cruel attack on people's lives here in Krakow."

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was "shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting in Kraków".

"My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives, everyone injured and all those affected by this senseless violence. The United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the people of Poland," he added.

Krzysztof Jan Klęczar, regional governor of Lesser Poland, said the dead included three Polish women aged 47, 53 and 61, a 32-year-old British man, and a woman of 51 whose nationality has not been confirmed - but who is not a Polish citizen.

He said the sixth victim was a Polish man around 50-years-old. The gunman is also suspected of killing three members of his own family.

Authorities also found three dead bodies at the 24-year-old suspected gunman's family home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a city about 93 miles north-east of Krakow.

Police said on Sunday they were the bodies of his sister, mother and father, and they are believed to have been shot.

"We would like to inform you that the perpetrator of the tragic events died in hospital early this morning," Malopolska Policja wrote on X.

The suspected gunman, a Polish national, was believed to have been inspired by "far-right ideologies" and was admitted to hospital after being shot by police.

Local police have launched a blood appeal for officer Jakub Kulik, who is fighting for his life in hospital.

Sources

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