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A 24-year-old gunman suspected of killing six people in central Krakow and three members of his own family at their home has died in a hospital early on Monday, according to Polish police. The suspect was injured during a shootout with armed officers who confronted him just three minutes after he opened fire on Saturday in Poland’s second-largest city.
The Attack and Investigation
The shooting began shortly before 15:00 local time in Krakow’s busy Main Market Square. Armed officers rushed to the scene and engaged the attacker, preventing a further massacre. Authorities initially stated that early investigations suggested the gunman was inspired by far-right ideologies and described him as an ultra-nationalist. However, Przemysław Nowak, a spokesperson for Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office, stated during a press briefing on Monday morning that investigations into his precise motivation remain ongoing.
Six people—four women and two men—were killed in the square. Four of the victims were Polish, alongside a British national and an Austrian woman. When police searched the gunman’s house following the attack, they discovered three more bodies, which were identified as his 53-year-old father, 52-year-old mother, and 21-year-old sister, as confirmed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Local media reported that the suspect held a firearms permit and may have sourced the weapons from his family home.
Nowak stated that investigators found four firearms in the gunman’s car, including two AR-15 rifles and two handguns, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Authorities also seized at least four phones from his car and person, plus electronic equipment from his home. Sixteen people, comprising five foreigners, two police officers, and the attacker, were hospitalized. The interior ministry reported that the foreign casualties included individuals from Austria, Britain, Germany, Portugal, and Russia.
Emergency Response and Eyewitness Accounts
Two surgeons who were eating near the Main Market Square rushed to the scene to treat the wounded before ambulances arrived. Professor Michal Pędziwiatr told BBC News that he and his colleague stepped in because no professionals were immediately available. Pędziwiatr explained that his colleague, identified by local media as Dr Mateusz Wierdak, used his bare hand to stem severe bleeding from a gravely injured police officer, allowing time for an ambulance to arrive and undoubtedly saving his life. By Sunday, reports confirmed that both injured officers had emerged from comas.
Witnesses near the square described widespread panic. Ruby, a visitor from London, recalled hearing gunfire and yelling at her friends to run for their lives until they found shelter in a hotel. Tom Brook, from West Yorkshire, was inside a McDonald’s near the square when he heard multiple gunshots and saw people seeking cover, later witnessing paramedics treating victims and a covered body near a shop.
National and International Reaction
Following the tragedy, Poland declared two days of national mourning. Prime Minister Donald Tusk traveled to Krakow and stated that the country had never experienced such a drastic case of terrorism, describing it as a cruel attack on people’s lives. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that he was shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting, expressing solidarity with the people of Poland.
The Main Market Square reopened on Sunday evening after authorities lifted the security cordon.
