Poland investigates Kraków shooting as potential terrorist act, six dead

The investigation is being led by a prosecutor from the Kraków section of the National Prosecutor’s Office Investigation Department, according to a statement released Sunday on the social media platform X.

Police have confirmed that three bodies found in the suspect’s residence belong to his family members: his father, age 53; his mother, age 52; and his sister, age 21. The circumstances surrounding their deaths are currently unknown.

Governor of Lesser Poland, Krzysztof Jan Klęczar, detailed that four of the six fatalities were women and two were men, ranging in age from 32 to 61. Four of the victims were Polish, one was British, and the sixth held another foreign nationality.

Of the 16 injured, 11 are Polish citizens, and five are foreign nationals. These include a Portuguese woman and a Russian woman, confirmed by their respective diplomatic authorities.

Klęczar stated that 14 of the injured are in stable condition, while one is seriously injured and another is in critical condition. The latter is the suspected shooter, who was shot by officers while attempting to escape in the vehicle he used to enter the square. The young man has undergone multiple surgeries overnight.

The condition of the two police officers who neutralized him remains serious. One has regained consciousness, while the other remains in an induced coma and under intensive medical supervision. Authorities have requested blood donations to treat the officer injured during the shootout.

The Market Square in Kraków remains cordoned off as investigators gather evidence and reconstruct the events. Seven prosecutors are involved in the ongoing investigation.

The governor explained that the area will reopen once police work is completed, although a timeframe has not been set. He also confirmed that specialists have inspected the suspect’s vehicle and ruled out the presence of explosives or additional weapons. Although there is no longer a risk requiring evacuation, the area remains cordoned off.

The response to the shooting, which began around 3:00 PM on Saturday, mobilized 1,146 police officers, as well as 24 fire crews comprised of 62 professionals and rescue teams.

The emergency center received 40 calls related to the incident. According to the governor, police arrived at the scene in less than two minutes, and the first patrol actively intervened three minutes after receiving the alert. The first medical teams arrived four minutes later.