Polish prosecutors have officially launched a terrorism investigation following a mass shooting in Kraków that resulted in the deaths of six individuals and left 17 others injured. The incident, which occurred on Saturday afternoon, has prompted two days of national mourning as authorities examine the suspect's potential motivations, noting he held what were described as far-right, "very radical," and "ultra-nationalistic" views. The attack, which authorities said was probably inspired by far-right ideologies, has shocked a country that was considered safer than many of its western European neighbours, and has deepened concern after several school stabbings in October that left one woman dead and which officials said were linked to extremist content online.
The 24-year-old suspect, a Polish national, reportedly drove into the city’s busy main square at high speed around 3 p.m. on Saturday. Dressed in military-style fatigues and a bulletproof vest, he fired randomly at pedestrians. The Kraków police spokesperson, Katarzyna Cisło, described the perpetrator's actions as a "wild ride" through the square, which is a popular destination for the city's 15 million annual visitors. The attacker was eventually apprehended after being wounded during an exchange of gunfire with police; he remains under heavy guard in a hospital following surgery.
The investigation expanded significantly after police confirmed on Sunday that the bodies of the suspect’s father, 53, mother, 52, and sister, 21, were found at the family residence in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, a town approximately 100 miles north-east of Kraków. Authorities said they had probably died of gunshot wounds.
Among the six people killed in the market square were four women and two men, including one British citizen. Two of the deceased victims have not yet been identified. Of the 17 wounded, five are foreign nationals from Britain, Austria, Germany, Portugal, and Russia. Two police officers were also among the injured, with one reported to be in a serious condition.
The national prosecutor’s office confirmed on social media the launch of an investigation into "the killing of six people … using a firearm, and the attempted murder of many others, including police officers, this act constituting a terrorist offence." Interior minister Marcin Kierwiński stated that the suspect's fascination with extremist ideologies was a central focus of the inquiry. In response to the violence, the defense minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, condemned the shooting as an "act of terror" on the people of Kraków.
In the wake of the tragedy, flags across Poland have been lowered to half-mast, and the European Commission in Brussels followed suit in solidarity. Global leaders have expressed their condolences, including UK prime minister Andy Burnham, who said he was "shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting," French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The attack has caused deep concern across Poland. Maria, a 20-year-old employee at a cafe in Warsaw, told Reuters she "almost burst into tears" when she heard about the attack, adding: "Recent events – not just this one, but things happening lately – are really affecting our sense of security." The daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita noted in an editorial that the mass shooting had brought a "brutal end to an era in which Poland was considered an island of safety."
