Krakow Square Shooter Kills Six, Including One British Citizen
Polish prosecutors opened a terrorism probe after a man opened fire in the old town, leaving 17 others injured and three family members dead at their home.
By Pedro Barnes ·
Six people died and 17 others were wounded when a 24-year-old man opened fire in a crowded market square in Krakow on Saturday. The attack prompted Polish prosecutors to launch a terrorism investigation into the shooting.
The suspect, a Polish national, drove into the main square in the heart of the old town at approximately 3 p.m. He was wearing military-style fatigues and a bulletproof vest. Police described his movements as a wild ride through an area typically filled with tourists.
Krakow police spokesperson Katarzyna Cislo said the gunman fired at random while navigating the square. He was wounded in a shootout with officers, arrested, and transported to a hospital. He has undergone surgery and remains under heavy guard.
The national prosecutor's office stated on social media that it is investigating the killing of six people using a firearm and the attempted murder of many others, including police officers. The office characterized the act as a terrorist offense.
Interior minister Marcin Kierwinski said the suspect held ultra-nationalistic views and was fascinated with far-right ideologies. Three people were found dead at the suspect's family home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a town about 100 miles northeast of Krakow. The victims were his father, 53, his mother, 52, and his sister, 21. Authorities believe they died from gunshot wounds.
Among the six killed in the square were four women and two men. Three of the victims were Polish women. Two victims have not yet been identified. One of the deceased was a British citizen.
Five of the injured are foreign nationals from Britain, Austria, Germany, Portugal, and Russia. Two police officers were also hurt in the shooting, with one suffering serious injuries. The attack heightened public anxiety following a series of school stabbings in October that left one woman dead.
Defence minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz described the event as an act of terror against the people of Krakow. The city draws 15 million visitors a year. Mourners placed candles in the square on Sunday, which remained partially sealed off. Flags were lowered to half mast across Poland and outside the European Commission in Brussels.
The UK prime minister, Andy Burnham, said he was shocked and saddened by the shooting. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack a shocking crime. French president Emmanuel Macron spoke of shock and disbelief. German chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany stood with Poland as a friend and partner. Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the act of violence.
Police in Warsaw announced increased security in the capital. The square, adjoining streets, and sections of the escape route remained closed for several hours on Sunday. Two days of national mourning began on Sunday.
