Krakow gunman dies after killing six in main square attack

Michal O, a 24-year-old from the southeastern town of Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, died in hospital after being shot and detained by police minutes after he fired on people from his car in Krakow's historic main square on Saturday, local time. Prosecutors announced on Sunday they are treating the attack as an act "constituting a terrorist offence."

Four women and two men were killed. Malopolska regional governor Krzysztof Jan Kleszczar said three of the women and one of the men were Polish; a man from the United Kingdom and a woman from Austria were also among the dead. Fourteen of the 15 injured remain hospitalised in stable condition, while a police officer who helped subdue the shooter is in a serious condition, according to Krakow Province Governor Krzysztof Kleczar.

The bodies of the shooter's father, mother and sister were found in the family home on Saturday, and officials said they were likely killed by him as well. Both he and his father held gun permits, and prosecutors said several firearms were found in the family apartment and in his car. About 411,000 people hold gun permits in Poland, a country of 37 million, and Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek said the government will review the requirements for obtaining one.

The government initially suggested the assailant may have been inspired by far-right ideology, without giving details, and the claim set off a bitter political fight. Law & Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski called it a "blatant lie." By Monday officials were easing off: "Until the matter is fully clarified and the authorities are in possession of complete information, it is best to refrain from making comments, even if there are some initial indications," government spokesperson Adam Szlapka told local news. An interior ministry spokesperson said the shooter's clothing carried many different emblems that have been partially examined.

The investigation continues despite the shooter's death, with authorities trying to establish whether he acted alone or was inspired by any group. "Evidence is being collected, but I will not show or disclose it. I ask for restraint," Zurek told Radio Zet. The square reopened on Sunday evening, where mourners laid flowers and candles for the victims.