Six dead, 17 injured as Polish prosecutors open terrorism investigation into Kraków shooting

Investigation begins after attack

The national prosecutor’s office announced an investigation into the six deaths and attempted killings of others, including police officers. It classified the suspected crimes as a terrorist offence.

The shooting happened on Saturday at about 3pm in Kraków’s main square, a central spot in the city’s old town. Police said the suspect drove into the square at speed before opening fire.

Victims and family deaths

Four women and two men were killed, according to Polish police. One victim was a British citizen; three were Polish women, while the identities of two others had not been established.

Seventeen people were hurt. Five of the wounded were from Britain, Austria, Germany, Portugal and Russia. Police found the suspect’s parents and sister dead at their family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 100 miles north-east of Kraków. Officials said gunshot wounds were the likely cause of their deaths.

Officials cite possible motive

Authorities said the suspect appeared to hold far-right views and that the attack was probably influenced by far-right ideologies. The Polish defense minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, described the shooting as an act of terror against Kraków.

The city, Poland’s second largest, draws 15 million visitors annually, most of whom pass through its main square. National mourning began for two days after the attack.

Messages of support for Poland

A Warsaw cafe worker, Maria, 20, told Reuters the news had shaken her sense of safety. She said recent events were affecting people beyond this shooting. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed sympathy for victims and their families. France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, also voiced condolences, with Merz saying Germany stood alongside Poland.