A British citizen is among six people killed after a gunman opened fire on crowds in Kraków, Poland, in a shocking attack that has left the country mourning, with investigators also discovering the bodies of three members of the suspect’s family at his home.
The shooting occurred on Saturday afternoon, November 7, at the city’s historic Main Market Square, a major tourist destination in southern Poland. Police said the attacker drove into the square shortly before 3:00 p.m. local time and began firing at random people from his vehicle.
The six victims comprised four women and two men. Polish police chief Marek Boroń confirmed that three of those killed were Polish citizens, one was British, while the identities of the remaining two victims had yet to be established.
A further 16 people were injured, including two police officers and the suspected gunman. Five foreign nationals from Austria, Britain, Germany, Portugal and Russia were among those injured, according to information released by Polish authorities.
The suspect, a 25-year-old Polish citizen, was shot and wounded during an exchange of gunfire with responding police officers and taken to hospital. Authorities said officers confronted him within minutes of receiving reports of the attack.
One of the injured officers, Senior Constable Jakub Kulik, was reportedly shot three times and remains in a very critical condition. Polish police have appealed to the public to donate AB Rh-positive blood to support his treatment. The second injured officer was identified as Senior Constable Artur Morański.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the officers for their intervention, describing them as heroes whose actions likely prevented further loss of life.
The investigation took a more disturbing turn after authorities searched the suspect’s residence in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, approximately 200 kilometres from Kraków.
Three bodies were discovered at the property. Police confirmed on Sunday that they had identified the deceased as the suspect’s 53-year-old father, 52-year-old mother and 21-year-old sister. Investigators said initial assessments indicated gunshot wounds, while searches and forensic examinations were continuing.
Authorities have not yet publicly established the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the three family members or confirmed the precise sequence of events linking them to the Kraków shooting.
Poland’s Interior Minister, Marcin Kierwiński, said preliminary findings indicated that the suspect held extremely radical views and appeared to have been influenced by far-right ideologies. He also described the suspect as an ultra-nationalist, while stressing that the investigation must establish the facts behind the attack.
Officials have not established a definitive motive. Investigators are also examining where the weapons used in the shooting came from and whether the suspect obtained them legally.
Polish authorities have said the suspect was not a serving soldier. The government has also indicated that he appeared to have acted alone, although investigators are examining whether anyone else may have supported or assisted him.
The attack has drawn condemnation and expressions of solidarity from international leaders. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the shooting as a shocking crime and said Ukraine stood with neighbouring Poland.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed condolences to the victims’ families and solidarity with the Polish people.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK Government deeply mourned the British national and other victims, extending condolences to their families. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham also expressed shock and sadness, saying the United Kingdom stood resolutely in solidarity with Poland.
In response to the tragedy, Poland declared national days of mourning for November 8 and 9, with flags flown at half-mast. Kraków Mayor Łukasz Gibała separately announced a period of mourning in the city through November 11.
Security has also been strengthened in Warsaw, where police have increased patrols and introduced additional precautions around areas expected to attract large crowds.
Parts of Kraków’s Main Market Square and surrounding streets have reopened, but police cordons remain in place as forensic teams continue their work. Authorities are appealing for public cooperation and urging people to rely on official updates as investigations proceed.
Mass shootings of this scale are extremely rare in Poland. The attack has therefore triggered widespread shock and renewed concerns about public safety, extremist violence and access to firearms.
For now, investigators face the task of establishing the full circumstances of the six deaths at the square, the discovery of the three family members at the suspect’s residence, and the motive behind one of the country’s most devastating recent acts of gun violence.
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