British man among six killed in mass shooting in Krakow's main square

A British man was among six people killed when a gunman opened fire in the main market square of the Polish city of Krakow on Saturday afternoon, in an attack officials believe was motivated by far-right ideology.

The shooting began at around 3pm local time in the square, a popular destination for foreign tourists. Police said the attacker, dressed in military-style clothing and wearing a bulletproof vest, shot people at random from a black car, sending crowds running for cover and forcing many to take refuge in nearby cafes and restaurants.

Authorities said a British citizen was among the dead, who included four women and two men. Sixteen people, among them two police officers and a number of foreign nationals, were also wounded. There has been no update so far on their condition.

Poland's interior minister, Marcin Kierwinski, praised the speed of the response, saying officers fired at the attacker just three minutes after receiving the first report. 'The police prevented a much larger massacre that could have otherwise occurred,' he said. Video from the scene showed an officer shooting the gunman multiple times from close range before himself slowly collapsing. Other footage showed blood on the ground and bystanders trying to resuscitate two victims, while a third person appeared motionless nearby.

The attacker, a 25-year-old man who has yet to be named, was described as 'stable but very critical' after being shot by police. A seriously injured officer was also said to be stable after undergoing surgery. Kierwinski said the gunman was believed to have been influenced by far-right ideology and to hold 'ultra-nationalistic' views.

Police said more weapons and ammunition were found in the gunman's car. Police spokesperson Andrzej Fijolek told broadcaster TVN 24 that the attacker used an AR-15 rifle and owned a firearms licence. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said investigators suspected 'a significant amount of weaponry' might also be at the man's home.

At that property, in Ostrowiec Swietokrzysk about 100 miles (160km) northeast of Krakow, the bodies of two women and a man believed to be family members of the attacker were found. A drone was used to look inside the house before counter-terror police carried out a search, and local media reported that residents were evacuated during the operation.

Krakow's mayor, Lukasz Gibala, has announced a period of mourning in the city lasting until Wednesday.

Mass shootings are very uncommon in Poland, where the number of gun licences is low compared with some of its neighbours, at around 411,000 among a population of 37 million. Daniel Tillies, editor-in-chief at Notes from Poland, called the attack 'a shocking, unprecedented event in Poland.' He told Sky News: 'Violent crime is rare here, crime involving firearms is even rarer. And this kind of mass shooting is unheard of, has never happened in Poland before.'

The rampage comes after a spate of stabbing attacks in schools in the Mazovia province last month that left one person dead and many wounded. Authorities said those incidents were influenced by violent and extremist online content.