A 24-year-old gunman suspected of killing six people during a mass shooting in the historic center of Krakow has died in a hospital from injuries sustained during a shootout with law enforcement, Polish police confirmed early Monday morning.
The suspect, who officials said was apparently inspired by far-right ideologies and described as an ultra-nationalist, opened fire in Krakow’s crowded Main Market Square on Saturday afternoon. The violent attack sent shockwaves through Poland’s second-largest city and prompted a rapid tactical response from armed police officers, who engaged the suspect in a gunfight and shot him within three minutes of the shooting beginning, effectively preventing further loss of life.
The shooter’s death early Monday morning marks the end of medical efforts to stabilize him following his apprehension. The development comes as Poland enters two days of national mourning to honor the victims of what Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described as an unprecedented act of terrorism on domestic soil.
The attack unfolded shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Saturday in the heart of Krakow’s Main Market Square, a bustling hub widely frequented by residents and international tourists alike. As gunshots rang out across the central plaza, horror spread quickly through the crowds, forcing people to scatter and seek cover in nearby businesses, side streets, and surrounding buildings.
Armed police officers stationed in the area responded immediately to the sounds of gunfire, racing into the square to confront the attacker. Within three minutes of the assault’s commencement, officers engaged the gunman in an active gunfight. During the exchange, police shot the 24-year-old suspect, neutralizing the immediate threat. Senior officials subsequently stated that the swift action taken by the responding officers prevented what could have been a far broader massacre in the packed urban area.
Following the shooting in the square, police confirmed that six people—four women and two men—were killed in the immediate attack. Emergency responders and law enforcement quickly secured the area as medical personnel worked to treat the numerous casualties scattered across the plaza.
Authorities later detailed the identities and nationalities of the six victims killed in the square. Four of the deceased were Polish nationals, while the remaining two were foreign citizens: a British national and an Austrian woman who were caught in the gunfire during the afternoon assault.
As law enforcement expanded their investigation in the hours immediately following the mass shooting, a second devastating scene was uncovered at the suspect’s residence. Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed that when police searched the gunman’s home after the attack, officers discovered three additional bodies inside the property.
On Sunday, Polish police confirmed the identities of the three victims found at the residence, identifying them as the suspect’s immediate family members: his 53-year-old father, his 52-year-old mother, and his 21-year-old sister. Reports in Polish media indicated that the suspect held a valid firearms permit and suggested he may have taken the weapons used in the public attack directly from his family home prior to traveling to the Main Market Square.
In total, sixteen people were taken to local hospitals following the violence in the city center. The wounded included five foreign nationals, two police officers, and the gunman himself. The interior ministry later specified that the injured foreign citizens hailed from Austria, Britain, Germany, Portugal, and Russia, reflecting the international background of visitors present in Krakow during the attack.
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