Kraków Shooting: Six Killed in Main Market Square Attack, Gunman Arrested

Six people were killed and 16 injured, including the attacker, on Saturday afternoon when a gunman drove a car onto Kraków’s Main Market Square and opened fire at random with an AR-15-style rifle, Polish police said. The suspect, a 25-year-old Polish man, was shot and arrested by officers after a chase through the Old Town. Hours later, police found three more bodies at his home — believed to be members of his family. Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the attack an act of terrorism and announced two days of national mourning.

A quick note you can trust: Every number, date and quote in this article comes from reports published on 7 and 8 November 2026 by Reuters, the Associated Press and other major outlets. I have not guessed any number. Where reports differ, I say so plainly — officials first gave the suspect’s age as 24 and later corrected it to 25, according to the Associated Press, and police later confirmed that 16 people were injured, including the attacker.

What happened on the square

The attack began at around 3 p.m. local time on Saturday, 7 November 2026, in the Main Market Square — Rynek Główny — in the historic centre of Kraków, Poland’s second-largest city and one of its most visited tourist destinations. Police said they started receiving reports at about 3 p.m. (1400 GMT) that a man had opened fire from a car and was shooting randomly at people in the square.

According to RMF24, citing Małopolska police, the gunman drove onto the square from Sławkowska Street. He was wearing clothing resembling combat fatigues and a bulletproof vest, and he used what appeared to be a military-style rifle. Police spokesperson Andrzej Fijołek told broadcaster TVN24 that the weapon was an AR-15 rifle and that the gunman held a firearms licence.

The square was busy on a Saturday afternoon. Police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło said: “The shooter was wearing military-like clothes and used military weapons.” Officers and emergency services reached the scene within minutes, and an ambulance helicopter was seen landing near the square.

The victims

Polish authorities confirmed that four women and two men were killed in the attack on the square. One of the dead was a British citizen, three were Polish, and two had not yet been identified. 16 people were injured, including the attacker — five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain, and two police officers, one of them seriously.

The injured were taken to hospitals across the city. In total, 16 people were taken to hospital — five foreign nationals, two police officers and the attacker. Police first reported 15 wounded and raised the total to 16 on Saturday evening, which is why earlier reports said 15.

Poland’s government moved quickly to confirm the basic facts and to warn against rumours. Police denied reports that an officer had died, and they denied that a second attacker was being sought. “The only known perpetrator of the incident is in police custody,” police said in a post on X.

The chase and the arrest

The gunman did not stay on the square. According to RMF24, he kept driving through the Old Town — along Grodzka Street, across Wszystkich Świętych Square and Marii Magdaleny Square, then along Stradomska Street towards Dietla. Police chased him through the narrow streets of the historic centre, and the chase ended at the junction of Stradomska and Dietla, where officers shot him and arrested him.

The suspect was taken to hospital for surgery and was reported to be in a “stable but very critical condition”. Police said many weapons and a large amount of ammunition were found in his car, and they believe he acted alone.

Officials have released no name for the suspect. What police have confirmed is that he is a 25-year-old Polish citizen from the city of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, that he had no previous criminal record, and that he held a firearms licence. The Associated Press reported that officials first gave his age as 24 and then corrected it to 25.

Three more bodies at the suspect’s home

The investigation took a darker turn on Saturday evening. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that three bodies — two women and a man — had been found at the suspect’s home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, around 160–200 km from Kraków. Tusk said they are believed to be members of the gunman’s immediate family.

That brings the total number of dead to nine — six people killed in the square in Kraków, and three more found dead at the suspect’s home. The two numbers must be kept separate: the three at the home were not shot in the square, and police have not yet said how or when they died. The discovery is now part of the same investigation.

Residents were evacuated from the building where the gunman lived, and counterterrorism officers entered it. Poland’s Internal Security Agency and the Military Counterintelligence Service are supporting the investigation, alongside police officers who remain at the scene in Kraków and at the family home.

What officials have said

Prime Minister Donald Tusk travelled to Kraków on Saturday evening and spoke to reporters there. He called the shooting an act of terrorism, saying: “There has never been such an extreme terrorist incident in Poland before, and we must call this brutal attack targeting people’s lives precisely that [terrorism].” He also said: “Until now in Poland we haven’t had such drastic cases of terrorism.” Tusk urged political leaders not to exploit the tragedy while the investigation continues.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said preliminary findings indicated that the suspect was influenced by far-right ideology and held radical, ultranationalist views. “Everything points to the fact that the shooter was influenced by far-right ideology, a matter that will also be subject to investigation,” he told a news briefing. He stressed that the ideological background is being investigated, and that no definitive motive has been established yet.

Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz described the attack as an “act of terror” against the people of Kraków. He also denied rumours circulating online that the attacker had served in the Polish armed forces, saying the suspect is not and never has been a member of the Polish military.

President Karol Nawrocki declared November 8 and 9 as days of national mourning. Kraków’s mayor, Łukasz Gibała, announced a separate period of official mourning in the city until Wednesday, 11 November. Candles and flowers were laid on the Main Market Square within hours of the attack.

Why this attack has shaken Poland

Poland has long seen itself as safer than many of its western European neighbours, which have suffered mass shootings and terror attacks over the past two decades. Saturday’s attack — six people shot dead at random in the country’s most famous square — breaks that sense of safety in a single afternoon. Several outlets describe it as Poland’s deadliest shooting since 1989. It also follows a string of school stabbings in October, which authorities said was influenced by violent and extremist content online.

Kraków itself matters here. The Main Market Square is the heart of a UNESCO-listed Old Town and one of the most visited places in Central Europe. The victims included tourists as well as residents — a British citizen among the dead, and five foreign nationals among the injured. That is why the attack is not only a Polish story, but a European one. For more on the wider region, read our report on Israel’s president asking Gadi Eisenkot to form a government and our report on Trump’s coming decision on Iran after the US midterms.

What happens next

The investigation is now the priority. Police and the Internal Security Agency are examining the suspect’s background, his weapons and ammunition, his online activity, and the three bodies found at his home. The key questions are whether anyone else was involved — police say they believe he acted alone — and what happened at the house in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski before the attack.

The suspect remains in hospital in critical condition, so questioning and any charges will depend on his recovery. Prosecutors had not announced charges as of Saturday evening, and the formal legal classification of the case is a matter for prosecutors and the courts.

Poland will spend Sunday and Monday in national mourning, and Kraków will mourn until Wednesday. The square, sealed off by armed police on Saturday, will reopen as the investigation allows. I will update this article on the same page as soon as police release more about the victims, or prosecutors announce charges.

Frequently asked questions

How many people were killed in the Kraków shooting?

Six people were killed in the Main Market Square — four women and two men, including one British citizen and three Polish nationals. Three more bodies were later found at the suspect’s home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, believed to be members of his family, bringing the total dead to nine. The two numbers should always be kept separate.

How many people were injured?

16 people were injured, including the attacker — five foreign nationals and two police officers, one of them seriously.

Who is the suspect?

A 25-year-old Polish man from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Police say he had no previous criminal record, held a firearms licence, and acted alone. His name had not been released at the time of writing. Officials first gave his age as 24 and later corrected it to 25, according to the Associated Press.

What weapon was used?

Police say the gunman used an AR-15-style rifle, fired from a car he had driven onto the square. He was wearing military-style clothing and a bulletproof vest. Police found more weapons and a large amount of ammunition in his car.

Has a motive been confirmed?

No. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said preliminary findings indicated the suspect was influenced by far-right ideology and held radical, ultranationalist views, but he stressed that the motive is still under investigation and no definitive motive has been established.

Is the attack being treated as terrorism?

Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it an act of terrorism, and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz called it an “act of terror”. President Karol Nawrocki declared national mourning for 8 and 9 November, and Kraków is in official mourning until 11 November. The formal legal classification is for prosecutors and the courts.

Final thoughts

Kraków’s Main Market Square is a place of cafes, churches and crowds — not a place anyone expects to hear gunfire. That is exactly why Saturday’s attack has shaken Poland so deeply. Six people went to the square on an ordinary Saturday afternoon and did not come home, and three more were found dead at the suspect’s house hours later. The facts are still coming in, and prosecutors will decide the charges. What is already clear is that Poland has suffered its worst shooting in decades, that the government is calling it terrorism, and that the country will spend the coming days in mourning. I will keep following this story and update this page as soon as the verified facts change.