Gunman kills six in Kraków's Main Market Square; Poland calls it an act of terror
Photo: MakeMyTripA gunman opened fire at random from a car in Kraków's Main Market Square on Saturday afternoon, killing six people and wounding 15 others in one of the worst mass shootings in Poland's recent history.
The attack began at about 3 p.m. local time, when the man drove into the historic square — the heart of Kraków's old town and one of Europe's most visited public spaces — and fired at people from inside his car, stopping at multiple spots around the square, Polish authorities said.
The dead were four women and two men. At least three of the women were Polish, and one of the dead was a British citizen, authorities said at a news conference. Police were still working to identify the other two victims on Saturday evening.
Police shot and wounded the gunman during a shootout not far from the square and took him into custody. He underwent surgery and remained in hospital. Police said he acted alone. "The only known perpetrator of the incident is in police custody," they said in a post on X, denying reports that a police officer had died or that a second attacker was being sought.
Two police officers were among the wounded, including one who was shot three times and was in very critical condition, with surgery underway, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said.
Kierwiński described the attack as an "act of terror" and said the gunman holds "very radical" and "ultranationalistic" views. "Everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies," he said at a news conference. Police said the suspect, a Polish citizen, was wearing military-style clothing and used an AR-15 rifle, which he held under a firearms licence. Police said many weapons and ammunition were found in his vehicle. Investigators had not established a motive, and the minister said the early indications about the gunman's views still needed to be verified.
Hours after the shooting, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said authorities had found the bodies of three of the suspect's close family members — two women and a man — inside his home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, a city about 150 kilometres northeast of Kraków. "We have the next acts of this tragedy," Tusk told reporters.
Kraków Mayor Łukasz Gibała declared a period of city mourning until November 11. President Karol Nawrocki said his thoughts were with the victims, those affected and their families. Tusk said police were investigating the attack and that he was being kept informed by the interior ministry.
Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland, according to The Associated Press. About 15 million tourists visit Kraków each year, most of them passing through the Main Market Square, one of the largest medieval squares in Europe.
Sources: The Associated Press (via AAP), "Six dead in Poland shooting, three bodies found at home" (Nov. 7, 2026, full text verified); BBC News, "Krakow shooting updates: At least six killed and about a dozen injured" (Nov. 7, 2026); Reuters, "Two killed, at least 10 injured in shooting in Polish city of Krakow, TVN24 reports" (Nov. 7, 2026, initial report). Event date verified: the shooting took place Saturday, November 7, 2026, at about 3 p.m. local time in Kraków, Poland; the death toll was updated from five to six later the same day by the Małopolska regional government.
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