Portuguese Woman, 74, Among 15 Hurt in Krakow Shooting That Killed 6
A Portuguese woman, 74, was shot in the back in Saturday's Kraków attack that killed at least six. She had surgery and is out of danger, Lisbon says.
A 74-year-old Portuguese woman is among the 15 people wounded on Saturday when a gunman opened fire in the main market square of Kraków, Poland, killing at least six people, according to Polish authorities cited by RTP Notícias (Portugal’s public broadcaster) and CNN Portugal. She was shot, has had surgery and is out of danger, the Portuguese government said.
She had traveled to Kraków to visit her granddaughter, who is in Poland on an Erasmus student exchange, Emídio Sousa, Portugal’s secretary of state for Portuguese communities, told RTP.
How the attack in the Main Market Square unfolded
A man drove a car into the square, one of the busiest parts of the historic center, at about 15h00 local time (14h00 in mainland Portugal) and started shooting at random at people there, Polish police said. An earlier official count had put the toll at five dead and ten wounded. Of the 15 injured, 12 are in critical condition, CNN Portugal reported, citing Polish authorities.
According to CNN Portugal, the suspect is a 25-year-old Polish citizen who wore military clothing and used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Local media said he was driving a black Subaru with no plates and carried other weapons and ammunition. He tried to escape and was stopped by police near the junction of Dietla and Stradomska streets. There he fired at officers and wounded two of them, one very seriously. Police shot him, and he was taken to hospital in custody.
Police believe he acted alone, and his motive is not known. He carried no identity documents, and officers worked out who he was through investigation, the Polish news site Onet reported.
Late on Saturday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said three people, two women and a man, had been found dead at the shooter’s home and were probably people close to him. Reports did not make clear whether those deaths are counted in the toll of six.
What it means for the Portuguese victim
The woman was hit in the back and operated on at Kraków University Hospital, where she is now in intensive care, CNN Portugal reported. Sousa said her condition is “very serious” but that her life is no longer in danger.
Portugal’s ambassador to Poland was on his way to Kraków to follow her treatment, Sousa told RTP Notícias. He added that the city has a significant Portuguese community, which made it likely that someone from Portugal would be among those hurt. Kraków is Poland’s second-largest city, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the country’s main tourist destinations.
How Lisbon and European leaders responded
The Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros (Portugal’s foreign ministry), headed by Paulo Rangel, said on X that it was deeply saddened by the attack. It sent condolences to the families of those killed, expressed solidarity with the Polish people and wished the wounded a quick recovery.
Tusk described the shooting as tragic and said he was following the situation with Poland’s interior minister; his spokesman said Tusk was traveling to Kraków. President Karol Nawrocki said he expected a full account of what happened and called the safety of Poles an absolute priority. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X that “Poland is not alone” and said the loss of life would be felt far beyond the country.
Sources: RTP Notícias, CNN Portugal
