The key facts

  • The case has been classified as terrorism: the prosecutor general said the attacker intended to 'seriously intimidate a large number of people'
  • The suspect is a 24-year-old Polish citizen, wounded during arrest and in critical condition in hospital
  • A two-day national mourning period has been declared in Poland

Case reclassified as terrorism

Poland's National Prosecutor's Office announced on Sunday that it has opened an investigation under terrorism charges following Saturday's mass shooting near Kraków's Main Market Square, in which six people were killed and 16 wounded, including two police officers. The case also covers the deaths of three people at the suspect's family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, roughly 160 km northeast of Kraków; according to the investigation, both attacks were carried out by the same person. This was reported by the Anadolu agency citing the prosecutor's office.

The suspect and possible punishment

The suspect is a 24-year-old Polish citizen. He was wounded during a shootout with police and remains hospitalized in critical condition. Those killed at the family home were his parents and sister. Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek explained the classification as a terrorist crime by saying that investigators believe the attacker intended to 'seriously intimidate a large number of people.' Both incidents carry penalties of up to life imprisonment.

What is known and what remains unclear

Investigative actions are continuing at both locations; the circumstances of the events are still being established, and the motives for the attack have not been disclosed in the reports. A two-day national mourning period has been declared in Poland starting Sunday.