Krakow shooting suspect dies, investigation continues as Poland mourns

The man, who opened fire on Saturday from a moving car on Krakow’s main market square, killed six people. Later, the bodies of his sister and parents were found in a house in the small town of Ostrowiec Swietokryzskie; it is believed he was responsible for their deaths as well. The motive for the attack remains unclear.

Due to the severity of the crime, the prosecutor’s office is investigating the 24-year-old Polish man for terrorism.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski reported that the suspect held radical views and was fascinated by far-right ideologies. Whether this, or another factor, drove him to kill multiple people is yet to be determined. The prosecutor’s office has described the act as having a “terroristic character.”

The forensic investigation is largely complete. A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office told the news agency PAP that one victim was killed inside a store, another at the entrance of a shop, and a third near the Marienkirche, where tourist horse-drawn carriages are located. Three more people – apparently also random victims – were killed at a street intersection on the edge of the market square.

Among the deceased are two foreign nationals: one from Britain and one from Austria. Numerous injuries were sustained by five people from Germany, Britain, Portugal, Austria, and Russia.

As a mark of national mourning, radio and television stations have altered their programming, canceling entertainment shows. Theaters have postponed performances, and concerts have begun with a minute of silence. People have laid candles and flowers in the center of Krakow. Solidarity cards with the French inscription “Je suis Krakow” (I am Krakow) have also been seen.

A rally is scheduled for this evening on the main market square, the site of the massacre. Krakow’s Mayor Lukasz Gibala appealed on social media, stating: “Let us show solidarity in these difficult times and prove that Krakow will always be a proud, hospitable and open city.”

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote to his Polish counterpart, Karol Nawrocki, expressing his condolences and stating that Germany stands with Poland and its citizens in this difficult hour. Pope Leo XIV also expressed deep sadness and assured those affected of his prayers. Poland is a traditionally strongly Catholic country.