Poland is in shock after a rare mass shooting in the country’s south, with authorities saying the attack was likely the work of a far-right ideology, prompting public mourning and heightened security.
In Krakow, a gunman went on a rampage in the city’s historic central square on Saturday, killing at least six people. Sixteen other people were injured.
Three bodies were later discovered at the suspect’s home in the town of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 190 miles northeast of Krakow. Police said they were the attacker’s sister, mother and father.
The shooting, which authorities said was being investigated as a possible terrorist attack, sparked a wave of fear in European countries with extremely strict gun laws. Poland’s leading daily Rzeczpospolita called the attack a harbinger of “a brutal end to the days when Poland was considered a safe island.”
Krakow police said police began receiving reports of gunfire at around 3pm local time (9am Eastern time) on Saturday, when a suspect drove into the city’s main market square and began firing indiscriminately, killing four women and two men.
The alleged attacker was wearing military uniform and using a “military weapon,” police deputy inspector Katarzyna Sisło told Polish news outlet TVN24. “A large number of weapons and ammunition” were also found in his car, Siswo added.
Police said the man, a 25-year-old Polish national, was shot and wounded by police before being taken to hospital. He has undergone multiple surgeries and is in a “stable but extremely critical condition,” a local police spokesperson told Reuters.
He was the only culprit sought by authorities.
It is “very likely” that Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski and the killings in the town of Krakow were carried out by the same person, but the investigation is ongoing, Polish prosecutors said on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office said 11 firearms were recovered from both scenes. The number matches the number of weapons permits issued to the suspect and his father, the spokesperson said.
Poland’s Defense Minister Wladysław Kosinak-Kamisz denied reports that the suspect was a military man, saying he had “no connection whatsoever to the military.”
Poland, like other European Union countries, has strict rules on gun acquisition, with few people allowed to own military-style weapons or carry guns in public. In the country of more than 37 million people, about 411,000 people have gun permits, according to the Associated Press.
The suspect is a member of a shooting club and appears to be an excellent marksman, a club spokesperson told Reuters on Sunday.
“He never came to the club wearing any kind of military uniform,” said Adam Siv of the Swit Starashovice club, adding that the alleged attacker “did not exhibit any negative behavior that would have been noticed.”
“I’m a sports shooter,” Seib said. “Shooting while moving, running, let alone driving a car…holding the steering wheel with one hand and firing an AR-style gun with the other…is a whole different category.”
A quiet mist settled over the city early Sunday morning as police officers dotted the square, but the square remained largely cordoned off, along with small shops and parallel streets.
The gunman’s motive was not immediately clear, but Interior Minister Marcin Kielwiński said at a news conference that the gunman was fascinated by far-right ideology and had “very extremist views.”
The comments about the alleged gunman’s views drew criticism from conservative Polish lawmakers, and Kierwiński added on Sunday that the motive for the attack was still being investigated.
“We are not making a judgment,” he told broadcaster TVN24 in comments reported by Reuters. “There is always an initial hypothesis, information, evidence. These are currently being checked by the police, so I won’t go into details. No one will say anything back.”
Kierwinski said two police officers were among those injured in the attack. Police said both men underwent surgery and are in stable condition.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote of the X that the two officers “risked losing their own lives and probably saved many lives.”
The injured included five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain, an Interior Ministry spokesperson told Reuters.
Cracow’s main market square, lined with cafes and bars, is usually a lively area popular with tourists and locals. According to Polish state broadcaster TVP, the site receives millions of visitors every year.
The city’s transit agency reported that a bullet from the gunman’s gun hit the streetcar, breaking the driver’s window but causing no injuries.
The suspect also shot dead two horses that were pulling a carriage in the city center, according to animal rights group OTOZ Animals. The group said both horses were alive and were treated by veterinarians and removed from the area.
Residents in the city rebelled in the aftermath, with many citing increased concerns about a lack of safety. “This is scary… it could happen in Poland,” one of the men, Witold Slocowsi, told Reuters. “I think this is a new era in my country.”
“I got goosebumps,” another resident, Malgozala Pizon, told Reuters.
“For me, it was just shocking. It was just awful,” she said. “I have no idea what happened or why.”
This melody, which normally plays every hour from St. Mary’s Cathedral in Krakow’s main square, was kept silent throughout the night in memory of those who died in battle. This marked the first time since World War II that telephone calls could not be heard.
Regional governor Krzysztof Krenzal condemned the “immense evil” of Saturday’s events, telling reporters: “We have just had a difficult night here in Krakow.”
The country’s digital minister, Krzysztof Gaukowski, said internet safety authorities had observed an increase in disinformation activity as reports of the attack circulated online. Poland’s anti-disinformation center has entered “emergency” mode to monitor false and misleading information, Gaukowski wrote in a post on X.
“Verified information will only come from the authorities and agencies responsible for ensuring safety and uncovering the circumstances of this terrible tragedy,” he said.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said: “My thoughts are with the victims, the injured and their families.”
Krakow’s mayor, Łukasz Gibawa, declared a period of mourning in the city until November 11. Neighboring countries such as the Czech Republic and Ukraine also sent messages of condolence.
This story has been updated with additional information.
