Kraków market square shooting kills six, including British national
A gunman opened fire in Kraków's main square on Saturday, killing six people and wounding 16. One victim was a British citizen; the suspect held far-right, ultra-nationalistic views.
Six dead in Kraków square attack as gunman with far-right views is arrested
Six people were killed and 16 wounded after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's busy main market square on Saturday afternoon, The Sun reports, in what Poland's defence minister described as an "act of terror" against the people of the city.
The suspect, a 25-year-old Polish citizen, began shooting with an automatic weapon at around 3pm, driving through the packed square before being apprehended by police. He continued firing at officers even after being shot himself, Kraków police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło said.
Polish interior minister Marcin Kierwiński told reporters the man held "very radical" and "ultra-nationalistic" views and was fascinated with far-right ideologies.
Victims include a British citizen and foreign nationals
Among the dead were four women and two men. One was a British citizen; three were Polish women. The remaining two victims had not been identified at the time of reporting, Polish police said. Five foreign nationals — from Britain, Austria, Germany, Portugal and Russia — were among the 16 wounded. Two police officers were also injured, one of whom was in a serious condition having been shot three times during the exchange of fire with the attacker.
A total of 13 people were taken to hospital in serious conditions, a figure that may include the gunman himself, who underwent surgery following his arrest.
Three more bodies found at suspect's home
Hours after the attack, prime minister Donald Tusk said authorities had discovered the bodies of three of the suspect's close family members — two women and a man — inside his home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, a city approximately 140 kilometres north-east of Kraków.
Eyewitness account from the square
Jonathan Balshaw, from Ipswich, was standing outside St Mary's Basilica with his girlfriend when the shooting began. "We ran down the side of the church and through the side door and hid with several other people until the gunfire died down," he told the BBC. "A lot of shots were fired, more than 20, with it sounding like multiple different firearms — there were two distinctly different noises."
Videos posted on social media showed people fleeing the square into surrounding side streets as first responders attempted to resuscitate victims on the ground.
Attacker drove through the square firing at multiple locations
The attack was first reported by a tram driver at around 3pm, who said his vehicle had been fired upon by a man in a moving car near the main square. The window of his cabin was shattered, the Kraków municipal transport company confirmed.
Cisło said the attacker wore military-style fatigues and a bulletproof vest. Police recovered additional weapons and ammunition from his car. He carried out a "wild ride" around the square, which is why victims were struck at several different locations, she said, adding that the gunman appeared to have acted alone.
Political responses and mourning
Defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz called the shooting an "act of terror" against the people of Kraków — Poland's second-largest city, which receives 15 million visitors a year. Mayor Łukasz Gibała declared the city would remain in official mourning until Wednesday, while vowing it would stay open to tourists. "The square will belong to us again," Gibała said in a video posted on X.
Government spokesperson Adam Szłapka wrote that "today's event in Kraków has shaken all of Poland," adding that Tusk was travelling to the city. Justice minister Waldemar Żurek said authorities would "ensure that the perpetrator of this crime is held fully accountable and severely punished."
The mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, announced increased security measures including road barriers along main streets in the capital's old town.
UK prime minister Andy Burnham paid tribute to the victims. "I'm shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting in Kraków today," he said. "My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives, everyone injured and all those affected by this senseless violence."
Sunday and Monday were designated a period of national mourning across Poland.
Gun ownership in Poland at record levels
The attack comes against a backdrop of rapidly rising firearm ownership in the country. Poland issued a record 50,700 gun permits in 2025, and the total number of active permits registered that year was almost double the figure from 2015, according to police statistics cited by Euronews. The number of legally owned firearms in Poland exceeded one million for the first time earlier this year.
Source: The Sun