Krakow Square Shooting Suspect Dies in Hospital, Death Toll Rises to Nine

A 24-year-old man who opened fire in a central square in Krakow, Poland, on Saturday, killing six people and wounding 15 others, died in hospital on Monday morning, police said. The assailant had been in critical condition after officers shot him to end the attack and had undergone several operations, according to authorities.

The man drove through the square in the heart of Krakow's Old Town to begin the assault on Saturday, police said. The square is a major tourist hub in Poland's second-largest city, and the attack turned the area into a scene of bloodshed and grief.

Later, authorities found the bodies of the assailant's sister, mother and father at the family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, a city roughly 93 miles (150 kilometres) northeast of Krakow. The discovery brought the total number of dead linked to the incident to nine.

On Sunday night, mourners laid candles and flowers beside bullet holes in the square, according to the Associated Press. Local resident Maciej Sikorski told the agency he had come to the site to avoid being consumed by fear. "In a situation like this, it's all too easy to stop living — to start being afraid instead, and just vegetate," he said. "That is something I really want to avoid."

Polish authorities have not publicly confirmed a motive for the attack. The case remains under investigation.