Communities in Poland are shocked and saddened after a rare mass shooting in the country’s south – prompting several days of national mourning and heightened security, as authorities say the attack was likely driven by far-right ideology.
The gunman killed at least six people in Kraków during a lethal rampage in the city’s historic main square on Saturday. Sixteen others were injured.
Three bodies were later found at the suspect’s home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 120 miles northeast of Kraków. Police say they were the attacker’s sister, mother and father.
Police started getting reports of a shooting at around 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET) on Saturday, when the suspect drove into the city’s main market square and started firing randomly, killing four women and two men, Kraków police said.
The alleged attacker was wearing military-style clothing and used “military weapons,” Police Deputy Inspector Katarzyna Cisło told Polish news outlet TVN24. They also found “many pieces of weapons and ammunition” in his vehicle, Cisło added.
The man, a 25-year-old Polish citizen, was shot and injured by police before being transported to the hospital, police said. He underwent multiple surgeries and is in a “stable but very critical condition,” a regional police spokesperson told the Reuters news agency.
He was the only perpetrator sought by authorities.
Poland’s Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz denied reports that the suspect was a soldier, saying he “never had anything to do with the military.”
Polish authorities have launched an investigation into the shooting. Regional governor Krzysztof Klęczar slammed the “immense evil” of Saturday’s events, telling reporters, “We have just gone through a difficult night here in Kraków.”
A quiet mist descended on the city early Sunday as police officers dotted the square, which remained largely cordoned off along with small shops and parallel streets.
The gunman’s motive was not immediately clear, but at a press conference, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said that the shooter was fascinated with far-right ideologies and held “very radical views.”
Two police officers are among those injured in the attack, Kierwiński said. They underwent surgery and are in a stable condition, police said.
The two officers “likely saved many lives, without regard for the risk of losing their own,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X.
The injured included five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain, an Interior Ministry spokesperson told Reuters.
Kraków’s main market square, lined with cafes and bars, is typically a busy area that is popular with tourists and locals.
The city’s transportation agency reported that a bullet from the shooter’s gun struck a tram, shattering the driver’s window, but causing no injuries.
The suspect also shot two horses that were pulling carriages in the city center, according to the animal rights group OTOZ Animals. Both horses are alive, have been treated by a veterinarian, and were taken away from the area, the group said.
Poland, like other European Union countries, has strict rules about acquiring guns and very few people are allowed to own military-style weapons or carry guns in public.
President of Poland Karol Nawrocki said “my thoughts are with the victims, those injured and their families.”
Kraków mayor Łukasz Gibała declared a period of mourning in the city until November 11. Neighboring countries, including the Czech Republic and Ukraine, have sent messages of condolences.
This story has been updated with additional information.