Police wounded and detained the suspected attacker after gunfire erupted in the crowded historic center, leaving two officers among those injured.
KRAKOW, POLAND — A gunman opened fire from a vehicle in Krakow’s crowded Main Market Square on Saturday, killing six people and wounding 15 others before police shot and detained the suspected attacker, Polish authorities said.
The shooting began around 3 p.m. Nov. 7 in the heart of one of Poland’s best-known tourist destinations, sending residents and visitors fleeing through the historic center as emergency crews and heavily armed police moved into the area. Authorities said the gunman fired at people at random while moving through the square. Four women and two men were killed, and two police officers were among the wounded.
Police said the suspected gunman is a Polish citizen and appeared to have acted alone. Officers exchanged fire with him a short distance from the initial attack, wounding him before taking him into custody. He was transported to a hospital for treatment. Authorities said additional weapons and ammunition were found in his vehicle, while investigators continued working to establish the full sequence of events and determine what led to the attack.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said preliminary information indicated the suspect had been influenced by radical far-right and ultranationalist views. Authorities stressed that the investigation was continuing, and a precise motive had not been established. Officials have not publicly identified the suspect. Police also moved to counter early reports suggesting that another attacker might be involved, saying they believed the detained man was the only person responsible for the shooting.
The violence extended beyond the market square investigation after Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that three people believed to be close relatives of the suspect had been found dead at a home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, about 150 kilometers from Krakow. Authorities were investigating those deaths and their connection to the suspect. Officials had not released a detailed account of how the three died or established publicly when their deaths occurred.
At least one of the six people killed in Krakow was a British citizen, authorities said. Foreign nationals were also among the wounded, including people from several European countries. Officials said some of the injured remained in serious condition. One of the wounded police officers was reported to be in particularly serious condition after the confrontation with the attacker. The identities of most of the victims had not been released.
The shooting brought a large police and emergency response to the Main Market Square, a vast medieval plaza surrounded by restaurants, shops, historic buildings and tourist attractions. Images from the scene showed officers sealing streets around the square while ambulances and medical teams treated the wounded. A medical rescue helicopter also arrived as authorities asked the public to stay away from areas where police and rescue crews were working.
Tusk traveled to Krakow as senior government officials met with police and security authorities. He said investigators were examining the background and circumstances of the attack and urged the public to rely on confirmed information as conflicting claims circulated online. President Karol Nawrocki expressed condolences to the victims and their families, while other Polish officials praised officers who confronted the gunman.
The scale of the attack shocked Poland, where mass shootings are uncommon. Krakow is Poland’s second-largest city and one of the country’s leading tourist destinations. The Main Market Square sits at the center of the city’s historic district and is normally filled with pedestrians throughout the day. The shooting prompted heightened security measures elsewhere as authorities assessed whether any broader threat remained.
Polish officials announced national mourning for Sunday and Monday following the killings, while Krakow authorities declared a longer local period of mourning. Police continued examining the suspect’s vehicle, weapons and personal history and were investigating the deaths found at his home. Authorities said there was no indication that another attacker remained at large, but several parts of the case, including motive and the circumstances surrounding the three additional deaths, remained under investigation Saturday night.
Author note: Last updated November 7, 2026.