Poland mourns victims of Krakow mass shooting as security fears grow

KRAKOW — Poland began two days of national mourning on Sunday and police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in the southern city of Krakow that the government said was likely inspired by far-right ideology.

Saturday's attack in the city's historic main square shocked a country that has prided itself on being safer than many of its Western European neighbors, deepening public concern following a string of school stabbings in October that officials linked to extremist content online.

Sixteen people were wounded in the attack, including two police officers and the suspected gunman, a 24-year-old Polish man who remained in a critical condition in hospital, local authorities said.

Krakow's old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts visitors from around the globe, and several foreigners were among the casualties.

One of the people who died was identified as a British citizen and another as Austrian, while five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain were among the wounded.

Three bodies, guns found at suspect's home

In the suspect's home town, Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, about 200 km (124 miles) north of Krakow, police later found the bodies of his parents and sister at his home.

Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Daniel Prokopowicz said it was "highly likely" that the killings in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski and Krakow were carried out by the same person, but that investigations were ongoing.

The three bodies found there had gunshot wounds, and seven firearms and a "significant" quantity of ammunition were recovered from the property, Prokopowicz added.

Faithful attend a Mass for the victims of the Saturday shooting, at St. Anne’s Church in Krakow, Poland, November 8, 2026. REUTERS /Jakub Porzycki

Some nationalist politicians questioned a statement by Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski on Saturday that the attack was likely inspired by far-right ideology.

"If Kierwinski has misinformed the public, he should face political consequences. We demand immediate explanations and access to information what he had based his statements on," Przemyslaw Czarnek, deputy head of the conservative opposition PiS party, wrote on X.

The suspect belonged to a shooting club, but little more information about him has come to light so far.

Streets closed as mourners leave candles

In Krakow, the old town's main market square—one of the largest medieval squares in Europe—and the surrounding streets remained closed, with police allowing only essential workers to pass. Many nearby cafes were closed and flags at the city hall were at half-mast. Mourners placed candles in several locations in the area.

The traditional hourly trumpet call from St Mary's Church on the square was suspended for 12 hours to commemorate the dead, the first time this has happened since 1939, state news agency PAP reported.

In the capital, Warsaw, police said on Saturday they were strengthening security measures in busy areas popular with tourists. Barriers were installed on streets leading onto the Krakowskie Przedmiescie street in the historic heart of the capital.

Attacks shake sense of security

In Krakow, locals and tourists spoke of their shock on Sunday.

"This is terrible for me, that [this] can happen in Poland because it's never happened like this in Poland... I think that this can be a new era in my country," local resident Witold Slowikowski said.

In Warsaw, Maria, a 20-year-old cafe employee, said she "almost burst into tears" when she heard about the shooting.

"Recent events—not just this one, but things happening lately—are really affecting our sense of security," she said.

Leading daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita said in an editorial that the mass shooting brought a "brutal end to an era in which Poland was considered an island of safety."

Officials and members of the public also praised the actions of police officers who apprehended the gunman, who was armed with a semi-automatic rifle.

The two officers, who sustained gunshot wounds while overpowering the gunman after a close-range shootout, have regained consciousness, a regional government official told a press conference. Both had undergone surgery.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised their bravery. "They likely saved many human lives, disregarding the risk to their own," he said on Saturday in a post on X. — Reuters

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