Gunman opens fire in Polish city of Krakow, killing 6 people and injuring 15

Attack in Main Square

Police said the gunman drove into Krakow’s Main Square and fired at people at random. Four women and two men died, and 15 people were wounded. The attacker was shot during an exchange of gunfire with officers a short distance from the initial scene, police said. He was taken to a hospital for surgery. Police had initially reported five deaths, then raised the toll to six in a post on X.

Poland’s interior minister said two police officers were wounded, including one seriously. A tram driver also reported that a moving car fired at his vehicle near the square around 3 p.m.; the cabin window was shattered, according to the city’s transport company.

Weapons and Police Response

Krakow police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło said the attacker wore military-style clothing and a bulletproof vest, and carried a military-type long gun. Police found other weapons and ammunition in his car.

Cisło said he continued firing at officers after being shot. She described his movement around the Main Square as a “wild ride,” which she said led to people being wounded in several locations.

Witness videos posted on social media showed people fleeing the square and seeking cover in nearby small streets. Police vehicles and ambulances were at the scene, and a Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter landed there.

Questions and Wider Context

Authorities had not established whether the firearm used in the attack, or the weapons found in the car, were legal. About 411,000 people in Poland hold gun permits, in a country with a population of 37 million; interest in gun ownership has been rising.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the responding officers in a post on X. President Karol Nawrocki said he was thinking of the victims, those wounded and their families. Krakow, Poland’s second-largest city, receives about 15 million tourists annually, most of whom pass through the Main Square.