Poland declares national mourning after Krakow square shooting kills six

Poland began two days of national mourning on Sunday following a fatal attack in Krakow. A 24-year-old man, described by authorities as holding far-right views, drove his vehicle into a crowded central square on Saturday and opened fire. The assault killed six people and wounded 15 others. Police shot the attacker, leaving him in critical condition.

The violence occurred in the Main Square in the Old Town of Krakow, a major tourist destination in Poland's second-largest city. Defense Minister Włodzimierz Czarzasty labeled the incident an act of terror. By Saturday evening, mourners had placed candles to honor the victims. The square remained partially closed on Sunday morning while investigators continued their work.

Survivors recounted the chaos on social media. Marie-Ange Collaer, a visitor from Brussels, wrote that her family ran for their lives to escape the gunfire. She described the group as being quite in shock after returning to their hotel but grateful to be alive. The traditional five-note melody from St. Mary's Basilica, known as St. Mary's Trumpet Call, was paused overnight. It was the first time the call had been missed since the Second World War.

Malopolska regional governor Krzysztof Jan Klęczar identified the six dead on Sunday. The victims included three Polish women, one Polish man, a man from the United Kingdom, and a woman from an unidentified foreign country. Five non-Poles were among the wounded, hailing from the U.K., Portugal, Russia, Germany, and Austria.

Two police officers who stopped the attacker remain hospitalized. One is in a coma, while the other has awakened from one. Officials appealed for blood donations for the most seriously injured officer. Klęczar stated that the efficient intervention of the two officers likely saved many lives. The attacker underwent multiple surgeries and remains in critical condition.

Prosecutors opened an investigation into the murder and attempted murder of multiple individuals, including police officers. They classified the act as a terrorist offense. Authorities confirmed the gunman is 24 years old, resolving earlier confusion over his age. Police found three bodies at the attacker's family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 150 kilometers northeast of Krakow. The bodies were identified as his sister, mother, and father, who likely died from gunshot wounds.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the attacker held very radical and ultranationalistic views. He noted that evidence indicates the man was fascinated by far-right ideologies. Local officials seized seven weapons from the family home, bringing the total recovered to 11. Four of these weapons were found in the attacker's possession in Krakow or in his car. The attacker's father legally owned more than 10 guns.

Mass shootings remain uncommon in Poland, though three attacks occurred at schools in the Mazovia province in mid-October. Kacper Rekawek, a senior researcher at the International Center for Counterterrorism in The Hague, said the Krakow attacker's gear and appearance resembled other extreme-right lone actors in Europe. He noted that such attacks have now become successful in Poland.