Kraków Shooting Suspect Dies in Hospital as Prosecutors Investigate Nine Deaths

The man, identified by Polish media as Michał O., died at approximately 4.30 am on 9 November, according to Krzysztof Klęczar, the governor of Malopolskie Voivodeship. He had undergone several operations after being critically wounded during a confrontation with officers on Saturday, 7 November.

Prosecutors had been unable to question him because of his condition. They must now rely on forensic examinations, witness testimony and material recovered during searches to establish what led to the killings.

Eryk Stasielak, a prosecutor at Poland's National Prosecutor's Office, said proceedings directly concerning the deceased suspect would be discontinued. The wider inquiry, including the possibility that other people knew about his plans, will continue.

Three relatives killed on Saturday

Police discovered the bodies of the suspect's parents and younger sister at their flat in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, approximately 150 kilometres north-east of Kraków, on Saturday evening.

The victims were his 53-year-old father, 52-year-old mother and 21-year-old sister. All had suffered gunshot wounds, according to Daniel Prokopowicz, spokesman for the District Prosecutor's Office in Kielce.

Preliminary findings suggest they were killed on 7 November, although investigators have not established the precise time of their deaths.

The National Prosecutor's Office believes the same man was responsible for both incidents. Detectives are seeking to reconstruct what happened at the house before he travelled to Kraków. Officers have questioned neighbours and obtained CCTV footage from the surrounding area.

Prokopowicz said post-mortem examinations and witness accounts would help determine the sequence of events. Autopsies of all nine victims were scheduled to begin on Monday and could take approximately two days because of the complexity of the injuries.

Prosecutors have not disclosed whether there were signs of a confrontation inside the family home or evidence of earlier threats.

Far-right beliefs under investigation

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the suspect held radical ultranationalist views and appeared fascinated by far-right ideologies. Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the shooting as an act of terrorism.

The National Prosecutor's Office formally classified the Kraków attack as a suspected terrorist offence on Sunday. Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek said the legal assessment reflected the apparent intention to seriously intimidate a large number of people.

The authorities have not established whether the gunman's political beliefs directly motivated the killings. No evidence of membership of an organised extremist group has been publicly disclosed.

Karolina Gałecka, a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry, told Polish radio station TOK FM on Monday that specialists were examining emblems and patches found on the suspect's clothing.

Investigators are also analysing his mobile phone, electronic storage devices and handwritten notes recovered during searches. They hope to establish his activities and contacts before the shooting.

Stasielak told TVP Info that officers had found no letter or other document on the suspect or inside his car explaining his actions.

Żurek said investigators had obtained evidence that could help explain the events but declined to disclose its contents. He indicated that the man had probably acted alone.

The relationship between the family killings and the attack on people in Kraków remains unclear. Prosecutors have not said whether they believe the same motive lay behind both crimes.

Gun licences under scrutiny

Police recovered 11 firearms from locations connected to the shootings, including seven at the family property in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Prokopowicz said the total matched the number of weapons covered by permits held by the suspect and his father.

Michał O. possessed a valid firearms licence, had no previous criminal convictions and was not previously known to police.

Investigators are checking the ownership and registration of the weapons. Ballistics experts will compare cartridge cases and other evidence from the two crime scenes to establish which firearms were discharged.

Police also recovered ammunition from the suspect's Subaru. Some weapons had been positioned within reach of the driver's seat, while others were stored in the boot.

The authorities have not reported irregularities in the issuing of the firearms permits. No findings have been announced about whether the suspect's behaviour before the attack had attracted official attention.

Gunfire in the historic centre

The shooting began shortly after 3 pm on Saturday, when a masked man wearing military-style clothing drove into Kraków's Main Market Square, a popular destination for tourists and residents.

He opened fire on pedestrians, sending people running into restaurants, shops and neighbouring buildings. Witnesses described repeated gunshots as police and emergency services arrived in the area.

Investigators believe many shots were fired from inside the car, including through its windscreen.

A tram travelling through the city centre was also struck by gunfire near Plac Wszystkich Świętych, according to Kraków's municipal transport operator. A window in the driver's cab was shattered, but neither the driver nor the passengers were injured.

Police pursued the attacker as he left the square. The chase lasted approximately two minutes before officers confronted him near the junction of Dietla and Stradomska streets.

He exchanged fire with police and was wounded before being detained. Two officers were injured during the intervention and taken to hospital.

Four Polish citizens, a British man and an Austrian woman were killed. Another 15 people were injured, including the two officers.

Early reports put the number of wounded at 16 because they included the gunman. Following his death, the figure for surviving injured victims stood at 15.

Poland declared two days of national mourning on 8 and 9 November. Residents and visitors placed flowers and candles near the scene, while police continued examining the route taken by the attacker.