Six people were killed and 16 injured after a gunman opened fire on pedestrians in Krakow’s historic Main Market Square on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in an attack Polish authorities are investigating as a possible act of far-right terrorism.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the suspect, a 25-year-old Polish national, was shot by police and remained hospitalized in serious condition, undergoing a second operation.
- Six people, including four women and two men, were killed when a gunman opened fire from a vehicle in Krakow’s Main Market Square on November 7, 2026.
- Poland’s interior minister reported 16 injuries, including two police officers. The suspect was shot by police and remains hospitalized in serious condition.
- Authorities are investigating possible far-right ideological motives. Police recovered multiple firearms and ammunition from the suspect’s vehicle.
Kierwiński said preliminary findings suggested that the attacker held radical views and may have been inspired by far-right ideologies. Authorities believe he acted alone, although investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances and motive.
The attack began at approximately 3 p.m. local time (14:00 GMT) when a man drove into Krakow’s Main Market Square and started firing at people from his vehicle.
Police pursued the gunman through nearby streets before shooting and detaining him.
Six killed and 16 injured in Krakow shooting
The six fatalities included four women and two men, according to police. Kierwiński said four victims had been identified, including one foreign national, while authorities were working to establish the identities of the remaining two.
Families were to be informed as identification progressed. The interior minister reported that 16 people had been injured, with two subsequently discharged from hospital.
Two police officers were among those wounded during the confrontation with the attacker.
One officer sustained a gunshot wound, while another suffered three gunshot wounds and was reported to be in very critical condition.
Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz described the shooting as a terrorist attack and expressed condolences to the victims and their families. He also rejected reports that the suspected gunman was serving in the Polish Armed Forces.
Officials urged the public to avoid circulating unverified information or graphic footage that could cause further distress.
Police stopped gunman within minutes of emergency calls
Interior Minister Kierwiński credited the rapid police response with preventing further casualties. He said officers fired at the attacker approximately three minutes after receiving the initial emergency call.
Firefighters and ambulances also arrived within three minutes, according to the minister. Kierwiński said the intervention prevented what could have become a substantially larger massacre.
Police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło said the attacker wore military-style clothing and used military-type weapons.
Another police spokesperson, Andrzej Fijolek, identified the weapon as an AR-15 rifle and said the suspect held a firearms licence. Officers recovered additional firearms and ammunition from the suspect’s vehicle. Police also searched his home as part of the investigation.
Authorities investigate possible far-right motive
Kierwiński said information collected during the investigation suggested that the suspect held “very radical views”. He added that the available evidence indicated possible inspiration from “far-right ideologies”.
Authorities have not established a definitive motive. Police believe there was only one attacker and have found no reason to suspect that additional gunmen were involved. The suspect’s identity has not been publicly disclosed.
Investigators are examining the weapons recovered from his vehicle, his background and the circumstances preceding the shooting.
Witnesses describe gunfire and panic in Main Market Square
Witnesses described hearing repeated gunshots as pedestrians fled through Krakow’s historic centre. A restaurant employee working approximately 20 metres from the shooting initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks. He told BBC News Polska that he realized what had happened after stepping outside and seeing police officers and people fleeing.
Another witness, identified only as Konrad, told Polish news website Interia that he saw shots coming from the driver’s window of a vehicle. He ran into a police station near the square, where people were already sheltering on the floor.
A 67-year-old witness named Julek told Reuters that a dark vehicle appeared suddenly before its driver opened fire on a group of pedestrians. “If we had been two minutes earlier, we might have been shot,” he said.
British tourist Caitlin Shasby, visiting from Newcastle, said she heard shots from her hotel room but did not initially recognize the sounds as gunfire.
Hotel staff subsequently informed guests about the shooting and instructed them to remain inside. Police cordoned off Main Market Square as emergency services attended the scene.
Video footage shows police pursuit through Krakow
Video recordings examined by BBC Verify showed gunfire in and around Main Market Square, followed by a police pursuit.
Footage from the northern part of the square showed several people lying on the ground while bystanders attempted to provide first aid.
Gunshots continued for more than a minute as pedestrians sought shelter. Other recordings showed a black vehicle being pursued along Grodzka Street, south of the square. The pursuit appeared to end near a major intersection approximately one kilometre away.
Footage from that location showed police confronting the suspect, followed by emergency treatment for two injured men, including a police officer. A rifle was visible on the street.
Krakow declares mourning as other cities tighten security
Krakow Mayor Łukasz Gibała declared a period of official mourning lasting until Wednesday, November 11. Prime Minister Donald Tusk travelled to Krakow from Warsaw after being briefed on the attack. He praised the officers involved and urged political leaders not to exploit the tragedy while investigators established the facts.
President Karol Nawrocki expressed condolences to the victims and their families.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also condemned the shooting.
The Portuguese Foreign Ministry confirmed that a Portuguese woman was among those injured and was receiving hospital treatment.
Other Polish cities began reviewing security arrangements. In Wrocław, Mayor Jacek Sutryk announced additional security measures around the city’s Market Square and called a meeting of officials for Sunday.
Police continued securing the crime scene in Krakow as investigators examined the attacker’s background, recovered weapons and possible ideological motivations.
