FAQ: What is known about the shooting in Krakow?

In the afternoon, a perpetrator shot from a car in Krakow, Poland, killing at least six people. Other people were injured. What is known about the crime so far.

FAQ Poland What is known about the shooting in Krakow? As of: November 7, 2026 • 8:38 p.m

In the afternoon, a perpetrator shot from a car in Krakow, Poland, killing at least six people. Other people were injured. What is known about the crime so far.

According to police, a man drove a car into Kraków's main market in the center of the Polish city around 3 p.m. and shot people indiscriminately. Four women and two men were killed and 15 other people were injured.

According to the information, three police officers are among the injured. Twelve of the injured are in a critical or life-threatening condition, the Lesser Poland Voivodeship said.

The PAP news agency reported, citing a photo reporter, that the alleged perpetrator collided with another car at an intersection as he fled. He then jumped out of his vehicle and shot at the emergency services. They returned fire and ultimately arrested the man and had him taken to a hospital.

Dead after shooting in Krakow - Rupert Wiederwald, ARD Warsaw tagesschau24, November 7th, 2026 • 7:00 p.m. What is known about the perpetrator? The news channel TVN24 reports that, according to the public prosecutor's office, the person arrested is a 24-year-old Polish citizen.

According to police, the man had a firearms permit and was using a civilian version of the AR-15 rifle. He was wearing military-like clothing. However, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized on X that the man was not a soldier in the Polish army "and never had anything to do with the army."

According to TVN24, the public prosecutor's office has not yet decided how to classify the crime. The police say they discovered numerous parts of other weapons and ammunition in the arrested man's car. At this point in time, the authorities believe the perpetrator was an individual, but they are investigating whether the alleged perpetrator worked with others. The man had not previously committed a crime.

According to Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski, the man was presumably fascinated by right-wing extremist ideology. "This will be the subject of the investigation," he told a press conference. Police officers and agents from the domestic secret service are deployed in various locations.

According to police, 15 people were also injured. The alleged perpetrator was shot and caught. more

Prime Minister Donald Tusk is on his way to Krakow. A press conference is scheduled for 9:45 p.m. On

President Karol Nawrocki reacted to X with “great concern”. He is in contact with the responsible authorities “and expects a comprehensive clarification of the circumstances of these dramatic events.”

Krakow's archbishop, Cardinal Grzegorz Rys, said that at the time of the crime, "each of us could have been in the market square, exactly where the bullets hit random, unsuspecting people." He called for social cohesion. One cannot remain indifferent at such a moment. “We want and need to be together,” emphasized Rys.

The mayor of Krakow declared national mourning until November 11th. President Nawrocki is planning a nationwide period of mourning from November 8th to 9th. Many Kraków cultural institutions canceled planned performances and concerts.

Many expressions of condolence came from abroad. Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote that he was deeply affected. Germany stands by Poland “as a friend and partner in these difficult times.” He expressed his sincere condolences and sympathy in Polish to the bereaved families of the victims at X. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the “shocking crime.”

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent her deepest condolences to the families of the victims on X. Europe stands with Poland in mourning and solidarity. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of “shock and emotion”. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on X about a "cowardly and unacceptable act of violence" that had struck Krakow.