Six people have been killed and 16 injured after a gunman opened fire from a car in the historic centre of Kraków, Poland, on Saturday 7 November. Police shot and detained the suspect, who authorities say acted alone.
Correction and update, 7 November 2026: An earlier version said no British casualty had been verified. That statement has been corrected following new reporting. Associated Press reports that a British citizen was among the six people killed in Kraków’s Main Market Square. Reuters reports that five of the wounded were foreign nationals, including a Portuguese woman. Their identities have not all been released. The number injured was initially given as 15 by local authorities and was later reported as 16 by police and international media; some reporting has counted the wounded suspect among those hurt.
The attack began shortly after 3pm local time (2pm UK) near Sławkowska Street and the city’s Main Market Square, a busy destination for residents and tourists.
What happened in Kraków
Police said a man drove into or around the Main Market Square and fired at people from his vehicle. Witnesses fled the square as emergency workers and armed officers responded.
According to Kraków city authorities, a number 1 tram was also fired upon near Plac Wszystkich Świętych. A window in the driver’s cab was shattered, but neither the driver nor passengers were injured in that incident.
Officers confronted the suspected attacker near the junction of Dietla and Stradomska streets. Police said he exchanged fire with them, was wounded and taken into custody before being brought to hospital for treatment.
What police have confirmed
- Six people died: four women and two men. Their names had not been officially released at the time of this report.
- Reports give an updated figure of 16 injured, although some earlier Polish official statements counted 15. A Polish police spokesperson subsequently said a total of 16 people were hurt including the wounded suspect, highlighting an unresolved discrepancy in how figures are counted. Two officers were wounded, one critically. The Associated Press reported 13 people hospitalised in serious condition.
- The suspect is a Polish citizen. Police and prosecutors have described him as 24, while some later international reports give his age as 25. Fish 4 News has not established why the accounts differ.
- Police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło said the man wore military-style clothing and body armour and used a long firearm. Additional weapons and ammunition were found in his vehicle.
- Police said the suspect acted alone and there was no continuing threat to the public.
What authorities have said about a possible motive
Poland’s Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said at a news conference that the suspect held radical, ultra-nationalistic views and was fascinated by far-right ideologies. That is the minister’s account of the suspect’s views. It does not establish why he carried out the shooting.
Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz described the shooting as an “act of terror”. That was his characterisation of the attack, not a reported finding that any specific terrorism charge had been brought.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said investigators were examining the background and circumstances. No definitive motive had been announced.
How the figures developed
- Shortly after 3pm local time: police received reports of a gunman firing from a vehicle in the city centre.
- Later in the afternoon: police confirmed that a suspect had been wounded and detained.
- By the evening: authorities reported six deaths and 15 injuries, after earlier reports of five deaths.
- Later on Saturday: police raised the number of injured to 16.
City declares mourning
Kraków’s mayor, Łukasz Gibała, declared city mourning from Sunday 8 November through Wednesday 11 November, with city-organised public events cancelled. Reuters also reported that Poland’s president, Karol Nawrocki, announced national mourning for 8 and 9 November. City officials urged people to follow police instructions near the investigation scene.
The square, a landmark of Kraków’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, draws large numbers of visitors. Saturday’s shooting has prompted heightened security measures elsewhere in Poland, including in Warsaw.
What remains unknown
Investigators have not established a definitive motive publicly. The identities of all the victims have not been released, and the precise legal status and ownership of the weapons remain under investigation. The Associated Press identifies one of the six people killed as a British citizen. Five injured people have been reported as foreign nationals, including a Portuguese woman; their full nationalities have not been confirmed. Authorities have not established any connection between the victims and the suspect.
The casualty figures and other details may change as investigators establish how the shooting unfolded. Separately, the Guardian reported late on Saturday that Prime Minister Donald Tusk said three people had been found dead at a property described as the suspect’s home. The report said they might be members of his family. Fish 4 News has not independently located a confirming police statement establishing their identities, cause of death or connection to the attack. These reported deaths have not been added to the confirmed toll of six killed in the square.
Sources
- City of Kraków: official statement and public safety advice (Polish)
- Kraków municipal transport operator: tram incident (Polish)
- Associated Press: updated reporting on casualties, police and ministers’ statements
- Polish Radio: reports and official reactions
- Reuters: updated investigation, foreign casualties and national mourning
- The Guardian: follow-up reporting including the uncorroborated account of three deaths at the suspect’s home
- City of Kraków: mourning arrangements (Polish)
