Polish authorities label Kraków market square shooting a far-right motivated terrorist attack
Six people were killed and several injured in a market-square shooting in Kraków; officials say the gunman acted on ultranationalist, far-right beliefs and police have declared two days of national mourning.
A gunman opened fire in Kraków’s main market square on Saturday, killing four women and two men and wounding dozens. Polish defence minister described the incident as a “terror attack,” and justice minister Waldemar Żurek said the suspect acted to intimidate a large number of people, qualifying the act as a terrorist offence. Interior minister Marcin Kierwiński identified the shooter as a Polish man in his mid-20s from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyskie, noting his “ultranationalistic” views and fascination with far-right ideologies. The suspect was shot by police and remains in critical condition, according to regional governor Krzysztof Klęczar.
Żurek added that the suspect also faces a separate murder charge linked to killings in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyskie, where three of his relatives were found dead. Police are investigating the case, with terror-offence specialists leading the probe. Two national days of mourning were announced for November 8 and 9.
Senior Constable Jakub Kulik, who confronted the shooter, is in critical condition, while senior constable Artur Moranski remains in a coma, according to Żurek. Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised both officers as “true heroes.”
Four of the victims have been identified as Polish nationals, a British national, and a non-Polish woman; the remaining victim’s nationality has not been released. Among the 16 injured, 11 are Polish and two are police officers.
Foreign officials expressed solidarity. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the United Kingdom mourns the British victim and stands with Poland. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the shooting a “shocking crime” and voiced solidarity. The U.S. State Department reported no American casualties, and U.S. ambassador to Poland Tom Rose noted the rarity of such violence in Poland.
Parts of the market square reopened on Sunday, though police continue forensic work. Survivors, including an American student and visitors from Belgium and the United Kingdom, described the chaos and their attempts to find shelter during the attack.