Krakow Shooting: Poland Declares National Mourning After Six Killed

Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the shooting as an act of terrorism of a severity Poland had not previously experienced. The suspected gunman, a 24-year-old Polish citizen, was wounded and arrested after exchanging fire with police in the historic city centre.

Hours later, officers discovered three bodies at his home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Police believe the deceased were his parents and sister, although the circumstances of their deaths remain under investigation.

Gunfire in Krakow's Historic Centre

The attack began shortly after 3pm on Saturday near Sławkowska Street, which leads into Krakow's Main Market Square.

According to police, a masked man drove into the pedestrian area and opened fire from his vehicle. He continued shooting as he moved through the square and neighbouring streets, where residents and tourists were spending the afternoon.

Rynek Główny, the medieval square at the heart of Krakow's Old Town, is lined with restaurants, cafés, shops and historic buildings. Horse-drawn carriages regularly carry tourists through the area, while the surrounding streets provide access to some of the city's most visited landmarks.

Witnesses described people running into restaurants, hiding behind cars and seeking shelter in nearby buildings.

A man identified only as Konrad told Polish news website Interia that he had seen gunfire coming from the driver's side of a passing car. He ran into a police station on the square, where several people were already taking cover on the floor.

Another witness, a 67-year-old man named Julek, told Reuters that he saw a dark vehicle approach before the driver began shooting at a group of pedestrians.

"If we had been two minutes earlier, we might have been shot," he said.

The gunman continued driving through the historic centre. Near Plac Wszystkich Świętych, a bullet shattered a window in the driver's cabin of a number 1 tram. Krakow's municipal transport operator confirmed that neither the driver nor the passengers were injured.

The attack ended near the junction of Dietla and Stradomska streets, south of the market square. During a police pursuit, the suspect's vehicle collided with another car. He then exchanged fire with officers, who wounded and arrested him.

Police Intervene Within Three Minutes

National police commander Marek Boroń said the first report of gunfire reached the emergency call centre at 3.00pm and 15 seconds. Around 40 calls followed as people across the city centre contacted emergency services.

By 3.03pm, officers were exchanging shots with the attacker.

Police deployed 30 patrol units. While the first officers confronted the gunman, others secured surrounding streets and assisted emergency teams treating casualties at several locations.

British Citizen Among the Dead

Four women and two men were killed in the shooting.

By Saturday evening, investigators had identified three Polish women and a British citizen. The identities and nationalities of the remaining two victims had not been established.

Polish authorities had not released the names of those identified, nor had they provided the British victim's age or sex.

Five foreign nationals were among the wounded. Poland's Interior Ministry identified their countries of citizenship as Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and the United Kingdom. Portugal's Foreign Ministry separately confirmed that a Portuguese woman had been injured.

Casualties were taken to six hospitals across Krakow. The Polish government's figures put the number of injured at 16, including the attacker. Reuters reported 17, also including the suspect. The discrepancy had not been resolved in the available official statements.

During the initial emergency response, 13 casualties were reported to be in a serious condition. Two injured people were treated and discharged within hours.

Two police officers were among those requiring surgery after confronting the attacker. Kierwiński said one had sustained three gunshot wounds and was initially in a very serious condition. The second officer suffered a gunshot injury.

Shortly after midnight on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Lesser Poland regional authorities told Reuters that both officers were in a stable condition following their operations. Poland's justice minister appealed for blood donations to help one of the wounded officers.

The suspected gunman also underwent several surgical procedures. His condition was described as critical but stable.

Police have not reported evidence that the victims were selected because of their nationality.

Three Bodies Found at Suspect's Home

On Saturday evening, officers searched the suspect's residence in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, nearly 200 kilometres north of Krakow. Inside the property, they discovered the bodies of two women and a man.

Tusk announced the finding after meeting senior police officers and government officials. He said preliminary evidence suggested that the deceased were members of the gunman's immediate family.

On Sunday morning, national police spokesperson Andrzej Fijołek told the Polish Press Agency that investigators believed the bodies belonged to the suspect's parents and sister. Formal identification was still being completed.

Police approached the property cautiously because of concerns that additional firearms or ammunition might be stored inside. According to Tusk, officers initially used a drone to inspect the premises.

Local media reported that residents of the building were evacuated while specialist police units secured the property.

Investigators have not established how the three people died or when the deaths occurred. They are examining whether the deaths preceded the Krakow shooting and whether the suspect was directly responsible.

Detectives are also reconstructing his movements before he travelled to the city. Evidence collected at the residence may help establish whether the attack had been planned in advance.

A Licensed Gun Owner

Police identified the suspected gunman as a 24-year-old Polish citizen from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Officials said he had no previous criminal convictions and held a firearms licence.

He was wearing military-style clothing and a protective vest during the attack. Police spokesperson Andrzej Fijołek told TVN24 that he had used an AR-15 rifle.

Officers recovered additional firearms and ammunition from his vehicle.

The weapons are undergoing forensic examination to establish their origins and registration status. Police are also investigating how they were acquired .

Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the man had not served in the Polish armed forces. The ministry ordered further checks into any possible connections with military institutions.

Tusk: Poland Has Never Faced Terrorism of This Severity

Speaking during an emergency briefing in Krakow on Saturday evening, Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the shooting as an act of terrorism unprecedented in its severity in Poland.

"Until now, we have not experienced such extreme cases of terrorism in Poland," he said, according to an English translation of his remarks published by the Polish government in Polish.

Tusk appealed for solidarity with the victims' families and urged politicians not to exploit the attack while investigators established what had happened.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said preliminary findings suggested the gunman had been influenced by radical far-right ideology. He described the suspect's views as ultranationalist but emphasised that the motive remained under investigation.

No extremist organisation has been publicly linked to the shooting. Although police initially indicated that the attacker appeared to have acted alone, investigators are examining whether anyone assisted him in preparing the attack.

Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) and Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) are supporting the investigation.

Formal questioning of the suspect may be delayed until doctors consider him fit to be interviewed.

National Mourning Until Monday

President Karol Nawrocki declared national mourning for Sunday, 8 November, and Monday, 9 November, following consultations with the government.

Krakow's authorities introduced a longer mourning period, lasting until Wednesday, 11 November.

Mayor Łukasz Gibała cancelled events organised by municipal institutions and asked private organisers to restrict entertainment activities during the four days.

The decision affects events planned for Poland's Independence Day on 11 November, when Krakow would normally hold public ceremonies and celebrations.

Gun Ownership Under Scrutiny

The suspect's reported possession of a firearms licence has drawn attention to Poland's gun ownership laws.

The number of registered civilian firearms exceeded one million for the first time in 2025, according to figures published by Polish police earlier this year.

By the end of December, 1,037,778 weapons were registered to civilian owners. The number of active firearms permits stood at 411,769, more than double the total recorded in 2015.

Police issued approximately 50,700 new permits during 2025. Collecting accounted for 21,071 decisions, while 17,601 were issued for sport shooting and 7,254 for personal protection.

Gun ownership had already been rising, but the increase accelerated following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. That year, the number of newly issued permits reached 37,402, compared with 19,939 in 2021.

Polish law allows civilian firearms ownership for specified purposes, subject to licensing requirements. These vary depending on whether an applicant seeks a weapon for sport, collecting or personal protection.

It is not yet known which category of licence the suspect held or whether any irregularities were involved in his acquisition of weapons. Investigators must establish whether all the firearms recovered from his vehicle were covered by his permit.

The case has also prompted questions about vehicle access to historic pedestrian districts.