Following a police recommendation, the city has placed concrete barriers on Krakowskie Przedmieście, closing that stretch to traffic. If needed, more barriers will be set up at locations designated by police, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski said on social media.
He stressed that Warsaw is actively preparing to secure the National Independence Day observances. “We are in constant contact with the capital’s police and all services responsible for security. The services assure us that they will have adequate forces and resources to maintain public order,” he added.
Trzaskowski said he has also instructed city services to stay especially vigilant, in particular the city guard (straż miejska), the monitoring services and the Warsaw Security Center (Stołeczne Centrum Bezpieczeństwa).
He reminded residents that additional bans on carrying weapons and using pyrotechnic products will be in effect in Warsaw on Nov. 11.
“The safety of residents and participants in the celebrations is our priority. I remain fully ready to cooperate with the services,” the mayor of the capital said.
On Saturday afternoon, a masked 24-year-old drove a car onto Kraków’s Market Square (Rynek) and began shooting at people there. He was wounded in an exchange of fire with police and detained. He had a gun permit and had no prior criminal record and had not previously come to police attention. In his car, officers found four firearms, including two AR-15 rifles and two pistols, as well as about 500 rounds of ammunition.
Six people were killed in the attack and 16 were wounded. Two police officers are among the wounded. The gunman, shot by police, was taken to a hospital in critical condition and died there Monday morning.
At the attacker’s home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, the bodies of three people were found: two women and a man. According to police in the Świętokrzyskie region, they are the perpetrator’s parents (father, 53, and mother, 52) and his sister (21). Injuries were found on their bodies that were preliminarily assessed as gunshot wounds. (PAP)
