A 24-year-old Polish national drove a car into the historic Main Market Square in Kraków on Saturday afternoon, wearing military-style clothing and a ballistic vest, and opened fire with a military-type rifle on passersby, leaving six people dead and 16 others injured.
The Polish National Prosecutor’s Office officially classified the shooting as a terrorist act, as reported. Investigators stated that the suspect, identified in reports as Michał O., acted with the intent to seriously intimidate a large number of people.
The Investigation Shifts to Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski
Hours after the Kraków attack, law enforcement units entered an apartment in the center of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski just before 22:00 on Saturday. Inside, officers discovered the bodies of a 53-year-old man, a 52-year-old woman, and their 21-year-old daughter. It was noted that the victims were subsequently confirmed to be the parents and sister of the Kraków gunman.
Przemysław Nowak, a spokesperson for the National Prosecutor’s Office, confirmed that evidence points to the same perpetrator carrying out both the family murders and the public square shooting. The case has been transferred to the Małopolska Regional Division for Organized Crime and Corruption in Kraków.
Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek explained on the social media platform X that the legal classification covers both the mass shooting in the square and the domestic homicides. The suspect faces a potential sentence of life imprisonment.
Police Response and Casualties in Market Square
During the incident in the crowded Kraków square, police officers intervened immediately under direct fire. A spokesperson for the Małopolska Voivodeship Police told media that the gunman targeted officers as they arrived.
Footage captured by a bystander showed a police officer firing six shots at the suspect, kneeling, and releasing a seventh round while already wounded. It was reported that the officer remained on the ground, keeping his weapon trained on the suspect for nearly a minute before losing consciousness from his injuries.
| Individual | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Jakub Kulik | Critically Injured | Police officer wounded in the exchange of fire; blood donation drives organized. |
| Artur Moranski | Recovering | Police officer who sustained severe injuries, recently awakened from a coma. |
| Michał O. | Detained / Hospitalized | 24-year-old suspect, currently in critical condition under police guard. |
Two police officers sustained severe injuries during the shootout. While Jakub Kulik remains in critical condition, Artur Moranski has regained consciousness after waking from a coma. Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly praised the wounded officers for their swift intervention.
Poland Declares National Mourning After Violence Kills Foreign Nationals
Prime Minister Tusk announced a two-day national mourning period across Poland, with Kraków observing local remembrance measures extending through Tuesday, November 11. Tusk remarked during a press briefing that Poland has rarely witnessed an act of violence of this scale.
Regional administration representatives confirmed that the casualties and wounded include foreign nationals. Among those killed in the square was a citizen of the United Kingdom. The injured include visitors from the United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, Germany, and Austria, alongside Polish citizens and horse-drawn carriage drivers who operate in the historic district.
Background checks on the suspect revealed that Michał O. held a firearms license and was registered with a sports shooting club in Starachowice. However, the Starachowice Sports Shooting Club Association released a statement emphasizing that the suspect never received tactical or combat training through their organization, noting he only visited their shooting range approximately twice a year.
