Krakow Shooting Leaves Six Dead in Terrorism Rampage
Six people were killed and 15 others wounded when a masked gunman opened fire in the historic centre of Krakow on November 7, 2026, prompting Prime Minister Donald Tusk to classify the rampage as an act of terrorism. Foreign nationals and local residents confronted the sudden violence as security forces sealed off the city’s Main Market Square, where mourners gathered to leave candles and black-ribboned national flags.
Investigators Link Suspect to Far-Right Ideologies Following Firearms Seizure
The 24-year-old suspect, identified by Polish media as Michal O., wore military garb and a bullet-proof vest before abandoning his vehicle at an intersection to launch the indiscriminate attack with a semi-automatic rifle. Investigators stated the gunman was fascinated by far-right ideologies and had no previous criminal record, though he was a member of a local shooting club alongside his father.
National prosecutors launched a terrorism investigation after authorities discovered seven firearms in the suspect’s apartment in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, roughly 150 kilometres northeast of Krakow. Inside the flat, police found the bodies of his parents, a 53-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman, and his 21-year-old sister, all bearing injuries preliminarily assessed as gunshot wounds. Additional weapons were recovered from the car the suspect abandoned during the assault.
Among the dead was a British national, while the 15 wounded included citizens from Austria, Britain, Germany, Portugal, and Russia. The gunman was wounded in a shootout with police and remains hospitalized in critical condition. Two police officers were also injured during the pursuit. The interior ministry confirmed that one of the injured officers, Jakub Kulik, is in serious but stable condition following the confrontation.
Warsaw declared two days of national mourning beginning Sunday, leaving souvenir shops closed and workers subject to police bag checks near the cordoned-off market square.
