Krakow shooting: gunman with far-right views kills 6; parents and sister found dead at his home

Polish authorities say the man who shot dead six people in Krakow's Main Market Square on Saturday held extreme far-right views, and that the bodies of his parents and sister were later found at the family home.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has described the attack as terrorism. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the suspect appeared to have "very radical views" and to be "fascinated by far-right ideologies".

The suspect is a 24-year-old Polish citizen from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Officials say he had no criminal record, was not known to police and held a gun licence. Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz denied reports that he was a soldier, saying he had never been in the military.

Masked and dressed in military-style clothing, he drove onto the crowded square at about 3pm and fired at passers-by from inside the vehicle. Four women and two men were killed, one of them a British citizen. Sixteen people were hurt, including two police officers and the gunman himself. One officer was shot three times and is in serious condition. A Portuguese and a Russian national were among the injured.

He used a semi-automatic rifle similar to an AR-15, fitted with a sight, and a pistol. More weapons and ammunition were found in his car. Two officers, whom Tusk named as senior constables Jakub Kulik and Artur Morański and called true heroes, wounded and arrested him close to the square.

Police later found the bodies of his father, 53, his mother, 52, and his sister at their home. Reports say they had gunshot wounds.

Poland began two days of national mourning at midnight, with flags at half-mast and entertainment events cancelled. No charges had been announced at the time of publishing. Mass shootings are very rare in Poland, which has strict gun laws.