Gunman kills six in Kraków's central square, three relatives found dead at his home

The attack in the central square

On Saturday, 7 November, shortly before 15:00 local time, a man drove into the central square of Kraków and opened fire on people in the street, according to police. Witnesses described scenes of panic as passers-by ran into shops, cafés and restaurants to find cover. Bullets also hit a passing tram and broke a window in the driver's cab, though no passengers were injured. Police said the gunman drove to several points around the square and fired at each stop, and that the attack lasted roughly three minutes. Officers believe their rapid response prevented more deaths.

Victims and injured

Police chief Marek Boron told a press conference that six people were killed in the square, four women and two men. Three of the dead are Polish women, one is a British national, and the identities of the other two had not been confirmed. The number of injured is reported as 15 in some accounts and 16 in others, and five of them are foreign nationals. A ministry of interior spokesperson told Reuters that Austrian, British, German, Portuguese and Russian citizens were among the wounded, without specifying how serious their condition was. Two police officers were also hurt, one of them in serious condition. Authorities have not yet clarified how many of the wounded were struck by gunfire.

Central square (police figure)6

Suspect's home (per prime minister)3

Central square (police figure)

6 people

Suspect's home (per prime minister)

3 people

Data from the article text

The suspect and his home

Police identified the suspect as a Polish citizen, reported to be 24 or 25 years old depending on the account. He wore military-style clothing and a bulletproof vest and carried a long military-type rifle, which one report estimated to be an AR-15-type weapon. Additional weapons and ammunition were found in his car. After a collision with another vehicle he got out and fired at officers, who returned fire, wounding and immobilising him. He underwent surgery and is reported to be in critical condition. A police spokesman told TVN24 that he held a firearms licence and most likely fired one of the weapons he was licensed for, and that he had no criminal record. Prosecutors have not established where the rifle came from, and reports that it belonged to his father have not been officially confirmed.

Three bodies, two women and a man, were found at the family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, in the Świętokrzyskie region of south-central Poland. Reports identify them as the suspect's mother, sister and father, and prosecutors confirmed that they are his parents and sister. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the suspect had killed the three family members earlier, bringing the reported toll to nine.

Political reaction and investigation

Donald Tusk described the attack as a terrorist act and declared two days of national mourning. Interior minister Marcin Kierwiński said early evidence suggests the gunman had been influenced by far-right ideology, a line of inquiry investigators will examine further. Tusk said Poland had not previously faced attacks of this extremity. Kraków mayor Łukasz Gibała announced local mourning that will last until Wednesday, 11 November. Forensic and anti-terrorism officers are working at the suspect's home, and the internal security service is also involved. Officials said no second attacker was involved, correcting earlier reports that had left that possibility open.