Poland has begun two days of national mourning after a shooting in Krakow’s historic Main Square left six people dead and 15 others wounded, in an attack authorities have described as a suspected act of terrorism.
The incident occurred on Saturday when a 24-year-old man allegedly drove into the busy square in the heart of Krakow’s Old Town before opening fire. Police officers intervened, shooting and wounding the suspect, who remains in critical condition.
Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz described the shooting as an “act of terror,” while Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the suspect held “very radical” and “ultranationalistic” views.
The attack has prompted an extensive investigation and expressions of solidarity with the victims and their families.
According to Małopolska Regional Governor Krzysztof Jan Klęczar, four women and two men were killed in the shooting.
Three of the women and one of the men were Polish nationals. The other victims included a British man and a woman whose nationality had not been established at the time of the announcement.
Five foreign nationals from the United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, Germany and Austria were among the 15 people wounded.
Mourners gathered at the Main Square on Saturday evening, leaving candles in memory of those killed. The area remained partially closed on Sunday morning as investigators continued their work.
In a further tribute, the traditional St. Mary’s Trumpet Call was suspended overnight. The five-note melody is normally played every hour from the highest tower of St. Mary’s Basilica overlooking the square.
The missed performance is the first interruption of the tradition since the Second World War.
Police Officers Injured Stopping Gunman
Two police officers who intervened to stop the suspect were also seriously injured and remain in hospital. Klęczar said today that one was still in a coma, while the other had regained consciousness.
Authorities appealed for blood donations to support the treatment of the most seriously wounded officer.
Klęczar praised the officers’ intervention, saying their actions may have prevented further deaths. “If it weren’t for the efficient and selfless intervention of these two young men, the number of victims could have been significantly higher,” he said.
The suspect also remains in critical condition after undergoing multiple surgeries.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the murders and attempted murders of several people, including police officers. They said that the case was being investigated as a terrorist offence.
Authorities Examine Suspect’s Far-Right Links
Kierwiński said that preliminary information suggested that the suspect was influenced by far-right ideology. “Everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies,” the Interior Minister said at a news conference.
Investigators are also examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the suspect’s sister, mother and father, whose bodies were discovered at the family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, approximately 150 kilometres (93 miles) northeast of Krakow. Authorities said the three family members likely died from gunshot wounds.
Local officials reported that seven weapons were seized from the family home, bringing the total number recovered in connection with the incident to 11. Four others were reportedly found on the suspect or in his vehicle in Krakow. Officials said both the suspect and his father held firearms permits.
The shooting has also drawn attention to the suspect’s reported involvement with a local shooting club. The Swit shooting club in Starachowice, where he is believed to have trained, said it offered only static shooting instruction, involving firearms discharged from a fixed position at stationary targets.
The club said the suspect “was never trained in our club in the areas of dynamic, tactical or combat shooting.”
Concerns Over Far-Right Violence
Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland, but the Krakow attack has renewed concerns about the potential for ideologically motivated violence.
In mid-October, three separate attacks occurred at schools in the central Mazovia region within four days, leaving one person dead and several others wounded, including children. The attackers used knives or other sharp objects.
Officials linked those incidents to the online glorification of violence and said some of the young attackers had connections to far-right circles.
Kacper Rękawek, a senior researcher at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism in The Hague, opined that the Krakow suspect’s military-style equipment, weapons and appearance resembled those associated with other far-right lone actors involved in attacks elsewhere in Europe. “We have had attempts before, but now we can say that these kinds of attacks have become successful in Poland,” he said.
The investigation is expected to examine the suspect’s ideological influences, access to weapons and possible connections to extremist networks.
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