Poland was in shock on Sunday, a day after a gunman opened fire in the historic city of Krakow, killing six people and injuring 15 others before being shot and wounded by police. Authorities said the 24-year-old attacker held radical far-right views, while prosecutors launched an investigation into the mass shooting as a terrorist offence.
The attack unfolded at Main Square in Krakow’s Old Town, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. Police said the gunman, dressed in military-style clothing and wearing a bulletproof vest, drove into a crowd before opening fire, triggering panic as residents and tourists scrambled for safety.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos as people rushed into nearby shops and restaurants to escape the gunfire. British tourist Neil Thaxton said employees ushered him and his wife into the back of a gift shop, locked the doors and switched off the lights. Both escaped unharmed.
Marie-Ange Collaer, a visitor from Brussels, said her family had run for their lives before finding shelter. Videos circulating on social media showed terrified people fleeing through narrow streets surrounding the square as emergency responders attempted to resuscitate victims.
Krakow police spokesperson Katarzyna Cislo said the attacker continued firing even after being wounded by police officers.
𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬
Regional Governor Krzysztof Kleczar said four women and two men were killed in the attack. Four of the victims were Polish nationals, while the remaining two included a British man and a woman whose nationality had not yet been disclosed.
Among the injured were nationals of Britain, Portugal, Russia, Germany and Austria.
Two police officers who confronted the gunman were also wounded and remained hospitalised on Sunday. One officer was still in a coma, while the other had regained consciousness. Authorities appealed for blood donations to support the critically injured officer.
In tribute to the victims, officials suspended St. Mary’s Trumpet Call, a traditional five-note melody played hourly from the tower of St. Mary’s Basilica overlooking Main Square. The overnight suspension marked the first interruption of the centuries-old tradition since World War II.
𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐫-𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞
The attacker, identified only as a 24-year-old Polish national, remained in critical condition on Sunday after undergoing multiple surgeries. Police had not publicly disclosed his identity.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski described the suspect’s views as radical and ultranationalist, saying investigators had uncovered evidence of his fascination with far-right ideologies.
Prosecutors opened an investigation into murder and attempted murder, including attacks on police officers, under provisions relating to terrorist offences. However, authorities had not established whether the suspect was affiliated with any organised extremist group.
Investigators also discovered three bodies at the suspect’s family home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, approximately 150 kilometres northeast of Krakow.
Police identified the deceased as the suspect’s parents and sister, adding that preliminary findings suggested all three had died from gunshot wounds.
𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝
Police recovered four firearms from the attacker and his vehicle at the scene. Another seven weapons were seized from the family residence, taking the total number of firearms recovered to 11.
Kleczar said the suspect’s father legally owned more than 10 firearms and that the attacker also possessed weapons.
A shooting club where the suspect was believed to have trained issued a statement clarifying that it offered only static shooting practice involving stationary targets. The club maintained that the suspect had never received dynamic, tactical or combat shooting training at its facilities.
Mass shootings remain rare in Poland, a country of approximately 37 million people, where around 411,000 individuals hold firearm permits. However, interest in private gun ownership has been increasing.
Kacper Rekawek, a researcher at the International Centre for Counterterrorism in The Hague, said the incident bore similarities to far-right lone-wolf attacks witnessed across Europe in recent years.
The shooting marked an unprecedented episode of mass violence in modern-day Poland, raising fresh concerns about extremist radicalisation, access to firearms and public security.