Following a mass shooting in Krakow that left six people dead, security was stepped up across the nation while Poland instituted a two-day period of national mourning starting Sunday. Saturday’s violence in the historic central square of the city startled a nation that has long considered itself safer than many of its Western European neighbors, heightening public anxiety following an October series of school stuggings that authorities tied to online extremist material.
Carnage in the Historic Market Square
The violence erupted at around 3 p.m. local time on Saturday when a 25-year-old Polish citizen drove into Krakow’s main market square and started firing randomly. According to Krakow police, the gunman killed four women and two men. Police Deputy Inspector Katarzyna Cisło stated that the suspect was wearing military-style clothing, used military weapons, and carried many pieces of weapons and ammunition in his vehicle.
A round fired by the assailant hit a tram and shattered the driver’s window, though no injuries resulted, according to a report from the municipal transit agency. The suspect also shot two horses pulling carriages in the city center. The animal rights group OTOZ Animals confirmed that both horses survived, received veterinary treatment, and were removed from the area.
Police Discover Suspect's Family Dead at Home
As police and local officials secured the area, officers discovered the suspect’s parents and sister dead at their home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, about 120 miles north of Krakow. Police posted on X that they discovered the bodies of a 53-year-old man, a 52-year-old woman, and a 21-year-old woman inside the residential apartment. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz denied reports that the suspect was a soldier, stating that he never had anything to do with the military.
The alleged attacker was shot and injured by police during a close-range shootout before being transported to a hospital. A regional police spokesperson told Reuters that the suspect underwent multiple surgeries and remained in a stable but very critical condition. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński stated at a press conference that the attacker was fascinated with far-right ideologies and held very radical views.
Shooting Wounds Seventeen People Including Two Officers
Authorities reported that the shooting wounded 17 people, including two police officers and the gunman. An Interior Ministry spokesperson told Reuters that the injured also included five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia, and Britain. Police appealed urgently for blood for one officer who was fighting for his life in a hospital.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the response on X, writing that Senior Constable Jakub Kulik and Senior Constable Artur Moranski are true heroes who likely saved many lives while disregarding the risk to their own. Officials and members of the public echoed this praise across the country.
In Krakow, police kept the Old Town’s main market square and surrounding streets closed to all but essential workers, while flags at city hall flew at half-staff. State news agency PAP reported that authorities suspended the traditional trumpet call from St. Mary’s Church on the square for 12 hours to commemorate the dead, marking the first time this had happened since 1939. In Warsaw, police strengthened security measures in busy tourist areas by installing barriers on streets leading onto Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street.
An editorial in the Rzeczpospolita daily observed that the shooting incident brought a violent conclusion to the period when Poland was viewed as a sanctuary of security. Krakow mayor Łukasz Gibała declared a period of municipal mourning in the city until November 11, while messages of condolence arrived from neighboring countries, including the Czech Republic and Ukraine.
Starszy posterunkowy Jakub Kulik i starszy posterunkowy Artur Morański to prawdziwi bohaterowie. Uratowali prawdopodobnie wiele ludzkich istnień, nie zważając na ryzyko utraty życia. Ich stan jest poważny, ale są pod bardzo dobrą opieką. Cała Polska trzyma za Was kciuki.
