The key facts

  • Attack on the Main Market Square in Kraków on 7 November: six dead, including a British citizen; at least 15–16 wounded, including a Russian citizen
  • The suspect is a 24-year-old Polish citizen with a firearms permit; the bodies of three people, presumably his relatives, were found at his home
  • Tusk called the shooting a terrorist attack; the Interior Ministry is examining the version of far-right ideological influence; 8–9 November declared days of national mourning

Attack on the Main Market Square

On Saturday, 7 November 2026, at around 15:00 local time, a mass shooting took place on the Main Market Square in Kraków — one of the most popular tourist spots in the old town. The attacker drove onto the square in a passenger car and opened fire on passers-by, then moved through the historic city centre, continuing to shoot from the vehicle. Witnesses said the man was wearing a mask and fired continuous bursts. According to local police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło, he was wearing clothing resembling a military uniform, and the weapon used was of a military type; a large amount of weapons and ammunition was found in the car. This was reported by Gazeta.Ru and Daryo.uz.

Victims: six dead and wounded foreigners

Six people were killed — four women and two men. The outlets' figures on the number of wounded differ: Gazeta.Ru, citing Polish authorities, reports at least 15 injured, while Daryo.uz reports 16. Among the identified victims, according to police, are a British citizen and three Polish citizens; the nationality of two other victims has not yet been established. The fact that a Briton was among the dead was reported by Sky News citing the authorities. Among the wounded foreigners are citizens of Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and the United Kingdom; the Russian embassy in Poland confirmed that a Russian citizen was wounded in the shooting.

The suspect and the discovery at a house in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski

The suspect was wounded during his arrest and hospitalised. He turned out to be a 24-year-old Polish citizen who held a firearms permit; according to police, he used an AR-15 rifle and remains the sole suspect in the attack. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that at the suspect's house in the town of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 200 kilometres from Kraków, the bodies of three more people were found — two women and one man who, according to the head of government, were presumably his close relatives. For safety reasons, a drone was used to inspect the house; according to Tusk, a significant amount of weapons may have been inside. According to local media, residents were evacuated and anti-terrorist unit officers entered the building.

The authorities' reaction and lines of investigation

Donald Tusk called what happened a terrorist attack and urged politicians not to exploit the tragedy for speculation, offering condolences to the families of the victims. Poland's Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński stated: 'Everything points to the shooter having been influenced by far-right ideology. This aspect will be investigated.' President Karol Nawrocki said he was deeply concerned by what had happened; according to his representative, 8 and 9 November have been declared days of national mourning in the country.