Tourist hotspot shaken as gunman opens fire in Polish city Krakow, killing 6 people and injuring 15

Attack in Main Square

A tram driver reported around 3 p.m. that a man in a moving car had shot at the vehicle while it passed nearby. The Krakow municipal transport company said the window of the driver’s cabin was shattered.

Police describe the suspect

Police said officers shot and wounded the gunman during a gunfight a short distance from the initial attack. Police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło told TVN24 that he wore military-style fatigues and used a military-type long gun.

Officers found other weapons and ammunition in his car. Cisło said the gunman acted alone and that the public was safe.

Death toll and responses

The death toll was first reported as five before the Malopolski regional government raised it to six in a post on X. Police officers were among the wounded.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said police were investigating. President Karol Nawrocki expressed support for the victims, wounded people and their families. U.S. Ambassador Tom Rose wrote on X, “America stands with Poland at this dark hour.”

A major tourist destination

About 15 million tourists visit Krakow each year, most passing through the Main Square. Krakow is Poland’s second-largest city, around 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Warsaw. Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland, according to the report.