KRAKOW (Azat TV) – The 24-year-old Polish man who carried out a mass shooting in Krakow’s historic Main Market Square on Saturday, November 7, 2026, died in a hospital early on Monday, November 9, 2026, police announced. NBC News reported that the suspect had been undergoing medical treatment under police guard in critical condition following a shootout that ended the attack, which left six people dead and more than a dozen wounded in Poland’s second-largest city.
The Saturday midday rampage shocked a nation that has historically viewed itself as insulated from such large-scale public violence. Authorities said the gunman used an automatic rifle during the attack in the densely populated tourist and commercial hub. Four women and two men were killed, including a British citizen and an Austrian national, while foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia, and Britain were among those injured.
Family Murders and Weapons Recovery
Before heading to Krakow, the attacker reportedly killed his mother, father, and sister at the family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about 90 miles northeast of Krakow. Prosecutors stated that seven weapons were found at the family home, while four others, including two AR-15 semi-automatic rifles, were recovered from the attacker or his car in Krakow, bringing the total number of recovered firearms to 11. Both the attacker and his father held valid gun permits.
The local shooting club where the suspect trained issued a statement noting that he “was never trained in our club in the areas of dynamic, tactical or combat shooting.” Two police officers who intervened to stop the gunman sustained serious injuries but were reported to be conscious by Sunday afternoon. Authorities hailed their actions as heroic.
Dispute Over Alleged Far-Right Motives
While Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński initially stated that preliminary findings indicated the gunman “was fascinated by far-right ideologies,” government and law enforcement officials later appeared to walk back those characterizations amid a bitter political dispute.
The nationalist opposition questioned the basis for the motive claims, with Law & Justice party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski dismissing them as a “blatant lie.” National Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Przemyslaw Nowak told a news conference on Monday that investigators had not yet determined what drove the killer. Nowak noted that a Gadsden flag with a snake and the words “Don’t tread on me” was found in the suspect’s room, though he emphasized it was not widely known as a symbol of extremism.
Government spokesperson Adam Szlapka told TVN24 that officials should refrain from drawing conclusions until the investigation is complete. Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek confirmed that the inquiry will continue to determine whether the suspect acted alone or had outside support.