The heart of Krakow, a city renowned for its safety and charm, was shattered Saturday. A gunman with ultranationalist views killed six people and injured 15 in a brazen attack on its Main Square, 1News reported.
The 25-year-old Polish man, whose name has not been officially released, drove into the historic square, a bustling tourist hub, and opened fire with an automatic weapon. He moved to multiple locations in a “wild ride,” police said, before officers shot and wounded him. Poland’s defense minister swiftly called it an “act of terror.”
A City in Mourning, a Nation in Shock
The scale of the violence was staggering. Four women and two men were killed, including a UK citizen. Among the injured were two police officers, one hailed as a hero for confronting the attacker. NZ Herald reported that the suspect’s family was also found dead in his home, deepening the tragedy.
We are just learning details of the horrific mass shooting in Kraków, a savage and murderous attack that’s shattered the peace of Poland. What we know so far is that several innocent precious lives were viciously cut down on a Saturday afternoon in Kraków’s historic and iconic…
The shock ran deep. “I’m absolutely devastated,” said Weronika Filar, 27, a Krakow resident. “It’s one of the safest places on Earth, genuinely…”
The Unfolding Chaos and a Race Against Time
Chaos erupted around 3 p.m. local time. Video shared online captured the pandemonium: people sprinting for cover down narrow side streets while the sound of gunfire echoed through the Old Town.
“We ran down the side of the church and through the side door and hid with several other people until the gunfire died down,” a witness told the BBC. Tom Brook, from West Yorkshire, described seeing paramedics working on a victim and a body covered in foil blankets just 20 meters away.
A shocking crime in Kraków. On behalf of the Ukrainian people, and personally, I extend my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. There can be no justification for this attack, and we trust the perpetrator will face justice. We wish strength and a…
In the immediate aftermath, two surgeons having lunch near the square became unlikely first responders. They raced to treat the gravely injured police officers, with one colleague saying his partner “undoubtedly” saved an officer’s life.
“If not for that, I don’t know how things would have turned out,” the surgeon told Fakt, as reported by the BBC. The two officers were later hailed as “true heroes” by Prime Minister Donald Tusk after emerging from comas.
Radical Far-Right Views Drove the Attacker
Authorities painted a clear picture of the attacker. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the man held “very radical” and “ultranationalistic” views, and “everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies.” The suspect, who wore military-style fatigues and a bulletproof vest, was not a member of the Polish armed forces, the government clarified.
“We have had attempts before, but now we can say that these kinds of attacks have become successful in Poland.”
While mass shootings are rare, the number of legally owned firearms has surged. In 2025, Poland issued a record 50,700 gun permits, with the number of active permits almost double what it was in 2015, according to police statistics cited by The Guardian. It remains unclear if the weapons used in the attack were legally acquired.
The tragic shooting in Kraków, which has claimed lives and left several people injured, is deeply saddening. My heartfelt condolences go to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and I wish all those injured a speedy recovery. 😞@donaldtusk, Latvia stands in…
Officials Increase Security Following the Shooting
Prime Minister Tusk attended a security briefing in the city, while Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski announced increased security, including road barriers, in the capital’s old town. Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed being “shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting.”
“Our city will never be the same,” Filar lamented. With the National Prosecutor’s Office launching a terrorism investigation, the focus now shifts to understanding the roots of such ideology and ensuring a tragedy of this magnitude does not happen again.
The profound depth of Poland's shock at the horror of yesterday's appalling mass murder in Krakow is truly remarkable to behold. Violence on this scale isn't just unheard of here, it's unthinkable and utterly alien to the Polish national character. Poland is so extraordinarily…
Earlier coverage: 6 Killed and 16 Injured in Krakow Shooting by Ultranationalist Gunman
