KRAKOW (Azat TV) – Polish authorities are investigating a deadly mass shooting that left six people dead and 16 others injured in Kraków’s historic Main Market Square on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, as a coordinated terrorist act. The attack, which marked one of the country’s deadliest episodes of public violence in decades, has prompted two days of national mourning and forced a reckoning over public safety standards in a nation that has historically viewed itself as insulated from such large-scale violence. Rather than treating the incident as an isolated criminal event, officials have moved swiftly to classify and investigate the massacre as a coordinated terrorist act, underscoring a significant and unsettling shift in the national security environment.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński stated that preliminary findings indicate the gunman, a Polish national in his mid-20s, acted with an automatic rifle and was heavily influenced by ultranationalist and far-right ideologies. Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek confirmed on social media that the suspect is facing murder charges in connection with the six deaths in the city center, as well as a separate murder investigation into the discovery of three family members found dead in the suspect’s home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyskie, located some 93 miles northeast of Kraków. Police officials later identified the three deceased individuals at the family home as the suspect’s mother, father, and sister.
Investigation and Security Response
According to NBC News, the suspect was shot by police at the scene and taken to a hospital, where regional governor Krzysztof Klęczar reported he remains in critical condition following multiple surgeries. Authorities identified four of the deceased victims from the city center attack as four Polish nationals, a British national, and one non-Polish woman whose nationality has not yet been formally publicized. Among the 16 injured individuals receiving hospital treatment are 11 Polish citizens, two police officers, and several foreign nationals from countries including Austria, Germany, Portugal, and Russia.
The swift intervention of law enforcement officers prevented a significantly higher casualty toll as the gunman carried out his rampage wearing military-style fatigues and a bulletproof vest. Regional Governor Klęczar praised the selfless actions of Senior Constable Jakub Kulik and Senior Constable Artur Morauski. Justice Minister Żurek noted that Senior Constable Kulik suffered severe internal injuries and fought for his life in critical condition before being brought out of a medically induced coma alongside his colleague, while regional blood banks reported a surge in voluntary donations from local residents.
National Mourning and International Condemnation
In response to the tragedy, the Interior Ministry announced two national days of mourning for November 8 and 9, while Kraków Mayor Łukasz Gibała declared a period of mourning in the city until November 11. Makeshift memorials featuring candles and flowers emerged across Kraków as parts of the Main Market Square and surrounding streets gradually reopened under heavy police forensic cordons. The traditional hourly melody from St. Mary’s Basilica fell silent overnight in commemoration of those killed, marking the first time the call had been missed since World War II.
Foreign leaders and diplomats offered swift expressions of solidarity. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband expressed deep sorrow over the death of the British citizen and other victims, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the violence as a shocking crime. U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose also highlighted the profound shock felt across the country, noting the rarity of such violence in an otherwise extraordinarily safe public environment. As the investigation continues under terror offence specialists within the prosecutor’s office, the broader public and political leadership grapple with the implications of an attack that has abruptly challenged Poland’s long-standing sense of domestic security.