In brief
In Krakow’s Main Market Square, a shooting claimed six lives and injured fifteen. Polish police later discovered three additional bodies—the shooter’s wife, sister, and another relative—at his home. While officials confirmed the number of victims, questions linger over the assailant’s identity and motive.
In Krakow’s Main Market Square on Saturday, a gunman fired indiscriminately, killing six people and wounding fifteen, including three police officers. The police later located three more bodies—two women and a man—in the shooter’s home, believed to be immediate family members, according to Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Confirmed
Polish police announced the discovery on July 17, citing footage from Polsat television that identified two women and a man in the victim set, all believed to be related to the gunman. Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the finding as a "truly exceptional tragedy" and stated,
We have confirmation. Two women and a man died in the criminal’s home. This is a truly exceptional tragedy. There are many signs that they are members of his immediate family.
Tusk’s comments were confirmed by the Onet news portal, confirming the presence of the bodies.
Unconfirmed
According to regional police, the shooter was wearing military clothing and had a military‑type long gun. He was detained at the intersection of Dietla and Stradom streets, where officers seized a large quantity of additional firearms and ammunition from his car. Sources say the gunman fled the scene in a vehicle, firing at random pedestrians. Officials have not yet confirmed his identity beyond a Polish nationality; he was not carrying identification and was recognized through operational work. No evidence of a second perpetrator has been confirmed, though the police spokesperson, Katarzyna Cislo, reiterated that the findings so far indicate only one attacker. The mayor of Krakow, Lukasz Gibala, and several national leaders, including President Karol Nawrocki and Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, visited the scene amid investigations.
