The key facts
- Polish prosecutors are investigating the Krakow shooting as a terrorist attack; the suspect faces life imprisonment if he survives
- Six people died on the Main Market Square and three of the shooter's relatives were killed — nine deaths in total
- November 8 and 9 have been declared days of national mourning in Poland
Penalty and legal classification
The man who carried out a mass shooting in central Krakow faces life imprisonment if he survives and his guilt is proven. This was stated by Poland's Prosecutor General and Minister of Justice Waldemar Zurek on Polish Television: 'If the perpetrator survives, he faces life imprisonment.' According to him, the prosecution is investigating the attack as a terrorist crime, and each of the charges carries a penalty of up to life imprisonment.
Course of the investigation and the suspect's fate
The shooter turned out to be a 24-year-old Polish citizen. During his arrest, he engaged in a shootout with police officers, sustained gunshot wounds, and was hospitalized. According to the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs, the man is believed to have held far-right and nationalist views. The investigation is also examining a separate episode: before the attack, the suspect killed his own parents and his 21-year-old sister — the bodies of his 53-year-old father, 52-year-old mother, and the young woman were found in his apartment.
Consequences of the attack and mourning
The attack took place on November 7 in central Krakow. As a result, six people were killed and 16 others were wounded, including two police officers and the shooter himself. Including the killed relatives, the total death toll reached nine — in their memory, November 8 and 9 have been declared days of national mourning in the country. Krakow's Main Market Square was reopened after the November 7 shooting.
