On a bright Saturday afternoon in Krakow, one of Europe's most visited squares became the scene of a violence that Poland had not before seen in such form. A gunman fired from a car at people wandering the market, leaving six dead, among them a British visitor and several Polish women, and sixteen wounded, including police officers and nationals of five other countries. The attacker, a 25-year-old who acted alone, was himself shot and taken to hospital, and later investigators found three more bodies at his home, most likely members of his own family. Officials describe a man drawn to far-righ
Gunman Kills Six in Krakow Market Square; Poland Declares Mourning and Probes Far-Right Motives
Six people were killed, including a British national and several Polish women, and 16 people were injured, among them police officers and non-Polish nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain.
Poland had not seen such drastic cases of terrorism until now
Mark
Why is Tusk using the word terrorism so directly?
Mimi
He said Poland hasn't had such drastic cases before, and that this is what it has to be called. It frames the attack as a national event, and he followed it with two days of mourning.
Mark
The victims came from many countries, didn't they?
Mimi
Yes. One of the dead was British, and the injured included people from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain. Five of the 16 wounded were not Polish.
Mark
And the bodies at the suspect's home?
Mimi
Two women and a man in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski. Tusk said much suggests they were immediate family, and he called it the next acts of the tragedy.
Luke
Careful there. That's still Tusk's reading of the evidence. No one has confirmed who they are or how they died.
Mark
What about the far-right claim?
Luke
It comes from the interior minister, who described him as fascinated by far-right ideologies, with ultranationalistic views. That's an official characterization. We haven't seen a manifesto or any evidence laid out publicly.
Mimi
Right, and investigators are still working on motive.
Mark
Is the death toll final?
Luke
The reports say at least six. Two of those dead haven't been identified, so the picture is still incomplete.
Mimi
What's clear is the scale: a busy tourist square, a long gun, a vest, and more weapons left in the car.
Le Pouls
- A car became a weapon in the middle of a crowded tourist square at about three in the afternoon, and shots rang out at spot after spot.
- Six people lay dead and sixteen were wounded, with victims from Poland, Britain, Austria, Germany, Portugal and Russia.
- Police returned fire, wounding the 25-year-old suspect, who was rushed to hospital while officers themselves tended to their injured.
- Three more bodies were discovered at his home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, turning a city attack into a question about a family tragedy.
- Poland declared two days of national mourning as the prime minister called the attack terrorism and European leaders pledged solidarity.
- Investigators are racing to establish a motive, name the two unidentified victims, and explain how the suspect obtained his arsenal.
On a bright Saturday afternoon in Krakow, one of Europe's most visited squares became the scene of a violence that Poland had not before seen in such form. A gunman fired from a car at people wandering the market, leaving six dead, among them a British visitor and several Polish women, and sixteen wounded, including police officers and nationals of five other countries. The attacker, a 25-year-old who acted alone, was himself shot and taken to hospital, and later investigators found three more bodies at his home, most likely members of his own family. Officials describe a man drawn to far-right ideology, and the nation now moves through mourning toward the slower, harder work of understanding why.
At about three in the afternoon on Saturday, a man drove a car into the main market square of Krakow and began shooting from inside it. The square is one of Poland's most treasured tourist destinations, and by the time police shot and wounded the attacker, six people were dead and sixteen were injured. Police said the gunman fired at random, stopping at several points around the square to open fire with an automatic weapon. Officers were among the wounded.
The dead were four women and two men, three of them Polish and one a British national, with two still unidentified. Five of the injured were foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain. The suspect, a 25-year-old Polish man who acted alone, was taken to hospital.
Later that evening the story widened. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said police had found the bodies of two women and a man at the suspect's home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, about 150 kilometers northeast of Krakow, most likely members of his immediate family. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said the attacker was fascinated by far-right ideologies and held ultranationalist, very radical views. Police found military-style fatigues, a bulletproof vest, a long gun and a large cache of other weapons and ammunition in his car.
Tusk did not soften his words. Poland, he said, had never before seen such drastic terrorism, and it must be named as such. He declared two days of national mourning, and President Karol Nawrocki wrote that his thoughts were with the victims and their families. Support came from across Europe, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas saying Poland does not stand alone and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledging Germany's friendship.
What remains is the slow work of answers: the motive, the names of the unidentified, and how a man came to hold such weapons in a city of more than 800,000 people.
At about 3 p.m. on Saturday, a man drove a car into the main market square of Krakow and began shooting at people from inside it. The square is one of Poland's best-known tourist attractions, and by the time police shot and wounded the attacker, at least six people were dead and 16 were injured.
Police said on X that the gunman fired at random. Authorities later added that he drove to several spots around the square and opened fire at each one with an automatic weapon. Officers were among the wounded. The suspect, a 25-year-old Polish man who authorities say acted alone, was hurt in the exchange of fire and taken to a hospital.
Police chief Marek Boron gave the toll on Saturday evening: four women and two men. Three of the dead were Polish women and one was a British national. Two had not yet been identified. Krakow police had earlier said that five of the 16 injured were foreign nationals, and an Interior Ministry spokesperson confirmed they came from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain.
Later that night the story widened. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said police had found the bodies of two women and a man at the suspect's home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a city about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northeast of Krakow. There was, he said, much to suggest they were members of the suspect's immediate family. "We have the next acts of this tragedy," Tusk told reporters.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said the shooter, whom she declined to name, was fascinated by far-right ideologies and held ultranationalistic and very radical views. Katarzyna Cislo, a spokesperson for Krakow police, said he wore military-style fatigues and a bulletproof vest and used a long gun. Police also found numerous other weapons and ammunition in his car.
Tusk, speaking to reporters in Krakow, did not soften the language. Poland, he said, had not until now seen such drastic cases of terrorism, and that was what the attack had to be called. He announced two days of national mourning. President Karol Nawrocki wrote on X that his thoughts were with the victims, the wounded and their families.
Messages of support came from elsewhere in Europe. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the tragedy would be felt far beyond Poland and that "Poland does not stand alone." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote on X that Germany stands alongside Poland as a friend and partner. Germany is among the countries whose citizens were wounded.
Krakow, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Warsaw, is Poland's second-largest city, with more than 800,000 residents. What remains is the investigation: establishing the motive, confirming the identities of the three people found at the suspect's home and of the two victims still unnamed, and learning how the suspect came to hold the weapons found with him.
Citations marquantes
Until now in Poland we haven't had such drastic cases of terrorism.— Prime Minister Donald Tusk
Poland does not stand alone.— EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas
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