Gunman Opens Fire from Car in Central Krakow; Police Report Five Dead

A man drove into the main market square of Krakow, a city in southern Poland, at about 3 p.m. on Saturday, 7 November, and began shooting at random passers-by from his car. Regional police said five people were killed and at least ten were wounded. Public shootings are relatively rare in Poland, where firearm ownership is strictly regulated.

The attacker and his weapons

Police said the shooter acted alone and is a Polish citizen. Shortly afterwards he was shot and wounded in an exchange of fire with officers a short distance from where the violence began. Police officers were also injured.

Krakow police spokeswoman Katarzyna Cislo told the TVN24 television channel that the attacker wore military-style clothing and used a military-type long gun. In his car, police found numerous fragments of other weapons, as well as ammunition.

The city's public transport company said that around 3 p.m. a tram driver reported that a man in a moving car had fired at the tram while it was passing the main square. The window of the driver's cab was smashed.

Videos and photographs show paramedics working near the city's well-known St. Mary's Basilica while an air ambulance helicopter lands on the square.

Reaction

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he was receiving regular updates from the interior minister and that police were investigating the motive and circumstances of the attack. President Karol Nawrocki wrote on X that his thoughts were with the victims, the wounded and their families, and said he expected a full explanation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the shooting as a "shocking crime" and offered condolences to the victims' families.