A gunman opened fire on random pedestrians from a car in Krakow's historic Main Market Square on Saturday, 7 November, killing six people and wounding at least 15 others before police shot and arrested him, authorities confirmed. The attack began shortly before 3:00 p.m. local time in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed square, a popular tourist destination in Poland's second-largest city.
Police said the assailant drove into the square and began shooting at random from his vehicle. The dead were four women and two men, according to police.
Among the injured were two police officers wounded in a shootout with the attacker, one seriously, after being shot three times and undergoing surgery. Police said the suspect is a Polish citizen who wore "military-style" clothing and used military-grade weapons.
A police spokesperson said: "Many pieces of weapons and ammunition were found in his vehicle." No motive has been publicly confirmed. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he was being kept informed and later travelled to Krakow from Warsaw.
He wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): "My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims." He also praised the "heroic police officers who risked their lives" and appealed to politicians "not to exploit this tragedy." President Karol Nawrocki said his thoughts were with the victims and their families.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski praised officers who "acted immediately," adding that "thanks to their heroic conduct, the assailant was quickly apprehended." Krakow's mayor declared a period of mourning in the city until Wednesday.
The regional governor said 12 of the injured were in life-threatening condition. Police confirmed that no other suspects were at large.