Krakau, Poland’s second-largest city with a population of more than 800,000 residents, is a popular destination for global tourists and counts its UNESCO World Heritage historic center, the Main Market Square (also known as the Cloth Hall or Great Ring), Wawel Castle, and the Wawel Cathedral among its major landmarks, as noted in reports.
State Mourning and Investigation in Poland
Poland began two days of state mourning following the attack, as reported by orf.at. Karol Nawrocki announced the nationwide state mourning for Sunday and Monday, according to reports citing RMF FM and spokesperson Andrzej Fijolek of the Polish police headquarters in Warsaw. The national prosecutor’s office announced terror investigations into the killings and the attempted murder of police officers, according to orf.at and Tagesspiegel.
Polens Donald Tusk stated that the shooter acted with a terrorist character, while Marcin Kierwinski reported that the gunman was fascinated by right-wing extremist ideologies, per orf.at and Tagesspiegel. Poland’s Defense Minister also described the incident as an act of terror, according to Tagesspiegel.
Policja zareagowała błyskawicznie, a funkcjonariusze wykazali się odwagą i nadzwyczajnym poświęceniem. Trzech odniosło rany, jeden walczy o życie. Potrzebują naszej modlitwy, solidarności i pełnego wsparcia. Dlaczego niektórym tak trudno to zrozumieć?
The suspect, identified in reports by Bild and Tagesspiegel as Michał O., opened fire indiscriminately from a vehicle around 3 p.m. near the central market square wearing military-style clothing, according to Tagesspiegel. According to Krakow police, the suspect fired a semi-automatic assault rifle while wearing camouflage clothing, and a police spokeswoman told TVN24 that he used a military-style long gun, potentially an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle.
After shooting indiscriminately from his car, O. rammed another vehicle, bringing his car to a halt in the immediate vicinity of the restaurant where the medical professionals were dining, as reported by Bild.
Police and eyewitnesses told outlets including Tagesspiegel that widespread chaos erupted as bystanders sought cover from the gunfire, with one eyewitness telling Polsat News that adrenaline was only just fading, people moved frantically, overturned tables were visible, and another witness describing hiding in back rooms after seeing the gunman suddenly appear. A rescue helicopter was deployed to the city center following the shooting, according to Tagesspiegel.
Victims Across Nationalities and Families Found Dead
The six fatalities on the square included four women and two men, among them a 32-year-old British citizen, a 50-year-old Pole, three Polish women aged 53, 47, and 61, and a 51-year-old Austrian woman from the Gänserndorf district in Lower Austria, as detailed by orf.at and Bild. The governor of Małopolska confirmed to journalists on Sunday that the 51-year-old woman is the sixth victim of the attack.
The victim’s husband was injured during the trip and is in stable condition, according to orf.at and krone.at. Krzysztof Jan Klęczar, the top administrative official of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, stated via PAP that at least 15 people were injured, adding on Polsat News that 12 of the injured were in critical or life-threatening conditions.
Police recovered additional weapons and ammunition in both the suspect’s car and residence, according to orf.at and Tagesspiegel, with a police spokeswoman noting that further weapons and ammunition were discovered inside both the suspect’s vehicle and his house.
Emergency Medical Response on the Scene
Two surgeons dining nearby with their families, Professor Michał Pędziwiatr and Dr. Mateusz Wierdak, rushed to aid the victims and wounded police officers, orf.at and Bild reported. Two responding police officers, Jakub Kulik and Artur Morański, were seriously injured while stopping the gunman, with Bild describing how Professor Pędziwiatr packed bandages directly into the severely wounded chest of an officer to stem the bleeding. Master Sergeant Kulik was struck three times, including in the lung, while continuing to hold the killer despite severe injuries, according to Bild.
Professor Pędziwiatr, who serves as the head of surgery at the University Hospital in Krakow, rode along to the hospital and performed an emergency surgery, as reported by Fakt, while a spokesperson for the Lesser Poland Voivodeship stated in the early hours of Sunday morning that the operations were successful.
Dr. Pędziwiatr described his colleague’s actions by saying: To put it casually: He stuffed all the bandages into the policeman’s chest and stuck his hands inside.
The wounded assailant was shot by officers and severely injured, refusing to surrender and continuing to fire at intervening officers before being stopped, according to orf.at and Bild photographs.
A fundraising campaign initiated by journalist Krzysztof Stanowski on a Polish portal raised more than six million Zloty—approximately 1.5 million Euro—from over 11,000 donors to support the injured police officers and their families, orf.at reported.
| Metric / Detail | Reported Figure or Status |
|---|---|
| Casualties on the Square | 6 dead (1 Briton, 1 Pole, 3 Polish women, 1 Austrian woman) |
| Additional Victims Found | 3 dead in suspect’s home (parents and sister) |
| Injured Count | At least 15 to 16 people wounded |
| Donation Total | Over 6 million Zloty (approx. 1.5 million Euro) |
Official Reactions and Consular Support
Christian Stocker expressed deep shock on X over the brutal terrorist attack, while President Alexander von der Bellen and Beate Meinl-Reisinger conveyed their profound sympathies to the families, orf.at reported. The Austrian Foreign Ministry confirmed that it is providing comprehensive consular support and arranging the return transport of the injured husband back to Austria this week, according to orf.at.
