Poland mourns rare mass killing, authorities say killer had far-right views

• Six people are killed and 15 injured in a shooting at Krakow's Main Square.

• Police identify three bodies found at the attacker's family home as his parents and sister.

• Authorities investigate the attacker's alleged far-right affiliations as two police officers remain hospitalised.

Poland began two days of national mourning on Sunday, 8 November after a 24-year-old man with 'far-right views' drove into a crowded square in central Krakow and opened fire, killing six people and injuring 15 others before police shot and wounded him.

The attack took place on Saturday in Main Square, in the heart of Krakow's old town, a major tourist destination in the country's second-largest city. Poland's defence minister described the shooting as an "act of terror".

By Sunday morning, mourners had begun leaving candles in memory of the victims, while parts of the square remained closed as investigators continued their probe.

In a related development, police discovered three bodies at the attacker's family home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, around 150 km northeast of Krakow. The victims were identified as the man's sister, mother and father. Police said they were believed to have died from gunshot wounds.

Four women and two men were killed in the shooting at Main Square. At least three of the women were Polish nationals, while one of the victims was a British citizen, authorities said. Five foreign nationals were among the injured. They were from the UK, Portugal, Russia, Germany and Austria.

The two police officers who confronted the attacker and brought him down were hailed as heroes. Both remain hospitalised, with one in critical condition. Authorities have appealed for blood donations to help the injured officer.

Far-right ideology under scrutiny

Interior minister Marcin Kierwinski said the attacker held "very radical" and "ultranationalistic" views. "Everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies," Kierwinski said at a news conference.

Videos shared on social media by eyewitnesses showed people fleeing the square and taking shelter in nearby narrow streets. Other footage showed emergency responders attempting to resuscitate victims. One video appeared to show a police officer repeatedly firing at the attacker, who was lying on the street, before the officer himself slowly collapsed.

The mass shooting marks a grim first for Poland, where such attacks remain rare.

However, the country witnessed three attacks at schools in the central province of Mazovia within four days in mid-October. The incidents left one person dead and several others injured, including children. The young attackers used knives and other sharp weapons.

Around 411,000 people hold gun permits in Poland, which has a population of 37 million. Interest in gun ownership has also been rising.

The attacker's military-style gear, firearms and overall appearance resembled those of other "extreme right lone actors" who have carried out attacks across Europe, said Kacper Rekawek, a senior researcher at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism in The Hague. "We have had attempts before, but now we can say that these kinds of attacks have become successful in Poland," he said.

With AP/PTI inputs