In the chaotic aftermath of a mass shooting in Krakow, Poland, two surgeons who were enjoying lunch nearby rushed to help the victims. One of them, Professor Michal Pędziwiatr, said his colleague Dr Mateusz Wierdak undoubtedly saved the life of a gravely injured police officer.
The attack occurred on Saturday near the city's Main Market Square, leaving six people dead and 15 injured. The surgeons were dining with their families when they heard gunshots. Pędziwiatr's son alerted them to the danger, saying people were falling to the ground.
Without hesitation, the doctors ran to the scene. They treated both the attacker and the two police officers who had been shot while subduing the gunman. "When it comes to saving lives, it doesn't matter who is who," Pędziwiatr told local media.
While Pędziwiatr attended to other victims and the perpetrator, Wierdak focused on the officer shot in the chest. Pędziwiatr described how Wierdak packed the officer's wound with bandages and applied pressure. "If not for that, I don't know how things would have turned out, as there was a long wait for the ambulance," he said.
Pędziwiatr also called John Paul II Hospital, insisting the officer be taken to its thoracic and cardiac surgery department, where specialists could provide the best care for such injuries.
On Sunday, both officers, identified as senior constables Jakub Kulik and Artur Morański, emerged from comas. They have been hailed as heroes by the prime minister for preventing further deaths.
The 24-year-old attacker, who remains in critical condition, was reportedly inspired by far-right ideologies, according to ministers. Prosecutors have launched a terror investigation. When authorities searched his home, they discovered the bodies of his parents and sister.
The attack began shortly before 15:00 local time on Saturday. Footage showed the attacker's vehicle speeding through the city center as people fled amid gunfire. Shops were shattered by bullets, and a tram was hit. The rampage lasted about three minutes.
Witnesses described panic and confusion. Ruby Catherine Warren from London heard gunfire and yelled at her friends to run. They sprinted for their lives and eventually hid in a hotel. Tom Brook from West Yorkshire was inside a McDonald's when he heard multiple gunshots and saw people running for cover. He later saw paramedics working on someone and a body covered in foil blankets.
The suspect wore full military tactical gear and had a military-grade weapon, but the government said he was not a member of the Polish armed forces. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the suspect was fascinated by far-right ideologies and held ultra-nationalist views.
Among the dead were a British national and an Austrian woman, along with four Poles. Six Dublin Civil Defence volunteers, who were on a city break, also assisted in the aftermath, providing CPR and hemorrhage control.
The mayor of Krakow has submitted an urgent request for the two injured officers to be awarded honorary citizen titles. Main Market Square reopened on Sunday evening after the security cordon was lifted.
