Poland is in mourning after a gunman opened fire on people in the historic Main Market Square of Kraków on Saturday afternoon, killing six people and leaving at least 15 others in hospital. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has described the attack as an act of terrorism, and police later found three more bodies at the suspect’s home, bringing the total number of dead linked to the case to nine.
The attack struck one of Europe’s best-known tourist sites on a busy weekend afternoon. According to Kyiv Post, which cited Polish officials, the shooting began at about 3pm local time. Euronews reported that the gunfire came from a car, while other accounts said a vehicle sped into the pedestrian area before a masked attacker began shooting at passers-by.
What happened in the Main Market Square
The Main Market Square, known in Polish as Rynek Główny, sits at the heart of Kraków’s Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is home to landmarks such as St Mary’s Basilica and the Cloth Hall, and it is usually crowded with tourists, shoppers and street vendors.
Polish authorities said six people were killed in the square. The regional government office in Małopolska said 15 injured people were taken to hospitals, and reports said about 12 of them were seriously hurt, with some in life-threatening condition after surgery.
Video footage shared by news outlets showed people running for cover and sheltering in doorways as shots rang out. Police also carried out operations on Dietla Street, a short distance from the square, according to Euronews.
The suspect
Police shot and wounded the suspect before arresting him. He was taken to hospital under armed guard, and later reports said his condition had stabilised. An interior ministry spokesperson confirmed that the detained man is a Polish citizen.
Polish media, as reported by Kyiv Post, identified him only as Michał O., a 24-year-old from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski in south-central Poland, in line with Polish rules that protect suspects’ surnames. Police said he wore a military-style uniform and carried a semi-automatic rifle. Officers reportedly found more firearms, ammunition, tactical equipment and a bayonet in the car, which was registered to his father. Reports said the suspect held permits for two firearms and that neither he nor his father had a criminal record.
Police dismissed unconfirmed social media claims that a second gunman had been involved.
Three more bodies found at the suspect’s home
After the arrest, police searched the suspect’s home and found the bodies of two women and a man. Tusk said evidence suggested they were members of the suspect’s immediate family, though their identities have not been officially confirmed. Forensic teams and prosecutors sealed off the house as the investigation continued. CNN and NBC News also reported that three people were found dead at the gunman’s home.
Investigators have not given a full account of the motive. Speaking at an evening press conference, Tusk said Poland had never before seen “such brutal acts of terrorism,” according to Kyiv Post. Earlier in the day, he said police were examining the background and all the circumstances of the attack.
National mourning and reactions
President Karol Nawrocki declared national mourning for Sunday and Monday, November 8 and 9, his spokesperson said. Nawrocki said he was deeply concerned and that his thoughts were with the victims and their families. The head of Poland’s National Security Bureau travelled to Kraków after the attack.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said Polish police had told it that no Ukrainian citizens were among the dead or injured. Poland hosts a large Ukrainian community, many of whom arrived after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The nationalities of all the victims have not yet been officially confirmed.
Mass shootings are rare in Poland, which has strict gun-licensing laws by international standards. The attack is likely to raise questions about firearm permits, how the suspect obtained his weapons and whether warning signs were missed.
What happens next
Prosecutors are expected to question the suspect once doctors allow it and to decide on formal charges, which could include murder and terrorism offences. Investigators are also working to establish how the three people at the family home died and whether those killings took place before the attack in the square.
For Nigerians and other Africans living or studying in Poland, Kraków is home to a sizeable international student population. Anyone concerned about relatives in the city is advised to follow official updates from Polish police and to contact their country’s embassy in Warsaw.
Sources: Kyiv Post, Euronews, CNN, NBC News.
