Gunman kills 6, wounds 16 in Krakow market square shooting

A 25-year-old Polish gunman opened fire in Krakow's Main Market Square on November 7, killing six people and injuring 16 others in what authorities described as a terrorist attack. The attacker drove into the bustling central square at approximately 3 p.m. local time and fired at random people from his vehicle before engaging in a brief gunfight with police officers who arrived within three minutes. Police shot and wounded the suspect, ending the attack and preventing further casualties.

Four women and two men were killed. Three victims were Polish nationals, one was a British citizen, and two remained unidentified at the time of reporting. Among the 16 injured were five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia, and Britain, as well as two Polish police officers. One police officer was shot three times and remained in critical condition. A Russian woman among the injured was reported to be in stable condition by the Russian embassy in Warsaw.

Investigators found the suspect was wearing military-style clothing and carrying a military-type long gun. Police discovered additional weapons and ammunition in his vehicle. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński stated that preliminary investigations indicated the gunman was "fascinated by far-right ideologies" and held "very radical" and "ultra-nationalistic" views. Hours after the attack, authorities discovered three bodies—two women and a man—at the suspect's home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, approximately 200 kilometers north of Krakow. Polish officials later confirmed these were the suspect's parents and sister.

Krakow, Poland's second-largest city and a major tourist destination attracting approximately 15 million visitors annually, observed an official period of mourning declared by city authorities through November 11. Poland's President Karol Nawrocki declared November 8–9 as national mourning days. Prime Minister Donald Tusk characterized the attack as terrorism, stating Poland had never experienced an attack of such severity. The incident occurred amid heightened concern following a series of school stabbings in October, which authorities attributed to exposure to violent and extremist content online.