Kraków Mass Shooter Dead; Three Family Members Found Dead in Separate Incident
The 24-year-old gunman killed six in Kraków's Main Square and was shot by police. Officials confirm he died in the hospital; family found dead nearby.
POLICY WIRE — Kraków, Poland — The 24-year-old man accused of killing six people in a suspected far-right rampage has died in a hospital, Polish police announced early Monday. The shooter was shot by officers during the attack, which unfolded in the city’s historic Main Market Square on Saturday.
Authorities stated the suspect opened fire on the public square, a popular commercial and tourist hub. He wielded an automatic rifle during the midday assault, injuring more than a dozen individuals. Two police officers who intervened to stop the gunman remain hospitalized in serious condition, according to regional official Krzysztof Jan Klęczar.
Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek characterized the incident as a terrorist offense on X, noting the gunman acted with the intent to severely intimidate a large gathering. However, the government later appeared to walk back definitive claims about the shooter’s ideological motivations. When nationalist opposition politicians challenged the basis for these accusations, government spokesman Adam Szlapka urged caution.
Szlapka told TVN24 that until the authorities possessed complete information, it was best to refrain from making comments, even if initial indications existed. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński had earlier stated the attacker was fascinated by far-right ideologies, a claim that prompted political scrutiny regarding the evidence.
Despite the shooter’s death, Justice Minister Żurek confirmed that the investigation remains active on Monday. The inquiry aims to determine whether the suspect acted alone or was inspired by a specific group. “Evidence is being collected, but I will not show or disclose it. I ask for restraint,” Żurek told the radio station Radio Zet.
Investigations have expanded to a separate incident in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyskie, located approximately 93 miles northeast of Kraków. Police found a man and two women dead in an apartment, believed to be the suspect’s parents and sister. Andrzej Fijołek, deputy inspector of Police National Headquarters, confirmed these deaths. Żurek added on Sunday that the suspect also faced murder charges related to these killings.
The total death toll from the shooting incident stands at six victims: four women and two men. Authorities identified three of the women and one man as Polish nationals. A male citizen from the United Kingdom and a female citizen from Austria were also among the dead.
Surrounding the wounded, five foreign nationals are listed among the injured. They are citizens of the United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, Germany, and Austria. The two police officers who neutralized the threat were hailed for their heroic actions and were conscious by Sunday afternoon.
Witnesses described the chaos of the attack in the crowded square. Marie-Ange Collaer, a visitor from Brussels, wrote on Facebook, We literally ran for our lives and managed to hide from the bullets flying around.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
