Surgeons from Krakow took to the streets to save the injured during a shooting

A tragedy unfolded in Krakow on Saturday when an armed attacker opened fire on the Old Market Square. Six people were killed in the incident, and 16 others were injured. The attacker was among the victims.

Medical aid at the scene

According to Polish media, two Krakow surgeons who were having lunch in a restaurant near the shooting scene heard the gunshots and immediately ran out into the street. The medics began providing aid to the victims directly at the scene. Their reaction was first reported on social media and later confirmed by a journalistic source.

One of the doctors was Professor Michal Pendziwiatr, who heads the Department of Surgery at Jagiellonian University and the Surgery Department at the University Hospital in Krakow. The other was likely Mateusz Werdak. Pendziwiatr later operated on one of the injured police officers at the hospital.

Attack details and condition of the injured

The attacker turned out to be 24-year-old Michal O. from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, who arrived at the scene by car. The bodies of three people were found in his home. Preliminary assumptions suggest they may have been the man's close relatives.

Among those injured in the shooting were police officers Jakub Kulik and Artur Moranski. Kulik's condition was particularly critical: by evening, a blood donation drive had already begun for him. He had previously served in the 6th Airborne Brigade and transitioned to the police after completing his military service.

«Якуб — герой, який рятував інших, а тепер сам потребує підтримки. Потрібна кров групи AB Rh+» (Jakub is a hero who saved others, and now he himself needs support. Blood type AB Rh+ is needed), his colleagues wrote on Facebook, calling on all willing individuals to join the donation drive.

Both police officers underwent surgery. After midnight, a representative of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship Office reported that their condition was stable. Fundraising for the law enforcement officers' families is also ongoing. As of Sunday morning, 2.5 million zlotys had been raised.