Poland has begun two days of national mourning after a gunman killed six people and wounded 16 others in a mass shooting at Krakow’s historic main square, in an attack authorities believe may have been driven by far-right ideology.
The shooting on Saturday shocked a country long considered safer than many of its Western European neighbours, while reigniting concerns over rising extremism following a series of school stabbings in October that officials linked to inflammatory online content.
The 24-year-old suspected attacker, a Polish national, was among those injured and remains in critical condition in hospital. Two police officers were also wounded during the incident.
The victims included a British citizen and an Austrian national, while five foreign nationals from Austria, Britain, Germany, Portugal and Russia were among the injured.
Krakow’s old town, where the shooting took place, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major international tourist destination.
The tragedy took an even darker turn when police discovered three more bodies at the suspect’s home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, about 200km north of Krakow.
The bodies belonged to the suspect’s parents and sister, all of whom had suffered gunshot wounds. Firearms and a substantial quantity of ammunition were also recovered from the property.
Prosecutor’s office spokesperson Daniel Prokopowicz said investigators believed it was highly likely that the killings in both Krakow and Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski were carried out by the same person, although investigations were continuing.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said initial indications suggested the attacker held “very, very radical views” and was “fascinated by far-right ideologies”.
However, his remarks sparked criticism from nationalist opposition politicians, particularly the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which questioned the evidence behind the government’s assessment.
PiS deputy leader Przemyslaw Czarnek demanded an explanation, warning that Kierwinski should face political consequences if he had misled the public.
On Sunday, Kierwinski stood by his earlier comments but stressed that investigators had yet to establish the suspect’s motive.
“We are not passing judgement,” he told TVN24, adding that initial theories and evidence were still being examined by police.
Meanwhile, security measures were tightened in Warsaw and other Polish cities following the attack.
In Krakow, the main market square and surrounding streets were temporarily closed before reopening late on Sunday. Several nearby cafes remained shut, while flags at city hall were lowered to half-mast.
The traditional hourly trumpet call from St Mary’s Church was also suspended for 12 hours overnight in memory of the victims. State news agency PAP reported that it was the first time the tradition had been interrupted in this manner since 1939.
In Warsaw, police strengthened security around busy areas popular with tourists, with barriers installed along streets leading to Krakowskie Przedmiescie in the capital’s historic centre.
The shooting left residents and visitors struggling to come to terms with the violence.
Local resident Witold Slowikowski said he never expected such an attack to happen in Poland.
“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,” he said.
Maria, a 20-year-old cafe employee in Warsaw, said she was deeply shaken when she heard about the incident.
“Recent events — not just this one, but things happening lately — are really affecting our sense of security,” she said.
Leading newspaper Rzeczpospolita described the shooting as a devastating blow to Poland’s reputation for safety, saying it marked a “brutal end to an era in which Poland was considered an island of safety”.
Authorities and members of the public also praised the police officers who confronted and apprehended the gunman, who was armed with a semi-automatic rifle.
The two officers wounded during a close-range shootout have regained consciousness and undergone surgery, according to a regional government official.
One of them received life-saving assistance from an off-duty doctor at the scene before paramedics arrived.
A witness, 35-year-old teacher and tour guide Aleksandra Dutka, recalled hearing what initially sounded like fireworks before seeing crowds fleeing the square.
“It sounded like fireworks, but we knew that something was off about it and we froze,” she said.
“A split second later I could see a swarm of people, like hundreds of people, running towards me. They were obviously trying to flee the square.”
