Polish law enforcement authorities announced that the twenty-four-year-old suspect believed to have shot six individuals in central Krakow, in addition to his mother, father, and sister at their residence, has passed away in a hospital. The suspect, who government officials stated appeared to have been motivated by far-right extremism, sustained injuries following an exchange of gunfire after opening fire on Saturday in Poland's second-largest city. Law enforcement officers arrived rapidly at the location and exchanged shots with the assailant, managing to shoot him within three minutes of the incident's start to halt a larger tragedy, according to officials. Krakow police reported that the man suspected of the shootings passed away during the early hours of Monday.
Following the incident that commenced shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) at the crowded Main Market Square in Krakow, authorities identified the perpetrator as a twenty-four-year-old Polish citizen while withholding his name. In the aftermath, a government official stated that preliminary inquiries pointed to far-right ideological motivations and labeled the individual as an ultra-nationalist without providing further particulars. A total of six individuals, comprising four women and two men, are verified to have lost their lives in the assault. Four of the deceased victims are Polish citizens, alongside a British citizen and an Austrian woman.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that three bodies, consisting of two women and one man, were discovered during a search of the suspect's residence following the violence. On Sunday, law enforcement verified that these three deceased individuals were the suspect's fifty-three-year-old father, fifty-two-year-old mother, and twenty-one-year-old sister. Polish news outlets indicated that the suspect possessed a legal firearms license and might have acquired the weapons from his family home. Sixteen people, including five foreign nationals, two police officers, and the perpetrator himself, were transported to medical facilities, with the interior ministry subsequently noting they originated from Austria, Britain, Germany, Portugal, and Russia.
Addressing the media on Sunday, one of two medical surgeons who provided aid to victims on the street following the attack stated that his associate unquestionably preserved the life of a critically wounded police officer. The two surgeons, who happened to be dining close to the Main Market Square when the shooter commenced firing, hurried to the location to assist the perpetrator and the two wounded law enforcement officers. Professor Michal Pedziwiatr informed the BBC that they witnessed the gunfire and chose to render immediate assistance to the victims since ambulances and other professionals were not yet present. Pedziwiatr explained that his colleague, identified by regional media as Dr. Mateusz Wierdak, applied manual pressure to control the hemorrhage of the most critically wounded officer, thereby sustaining him until an ambulance reached the scene. By Sunday, reports indicated that both injured police officers had regained consciousness from comas.
Eyewitnesses near the Main Market Square recounted feelings of terror and disorientation as the violence unfolded. Ruby Catherine Warren from London recalled hearing gunfire and shouting to her companions to flee for their lives until they located a hotel for shelter. Tom Brook from West Yorkshire was inside a restaurant near the square when he heard multiple shots and observed people seeking shelter, later seeing medical personnel treating an individual and a covered body nearby. Following the tragic event, Poland announced a period of two days of national mourning.
After visiting Krakow, Prime Minister Tusk stated that the country had not previously experienced such severe terrorism and that the cruel assault must be designated as such. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that he felt shocked and saddened by the terrible shooting in Krakow, offering his thoughts to the affected families and injured individuals while affirming that the United Kingdom stands in solidarity with Poland. The Main Market Square was reopened on Sunday evening after authorities removed the security perimeter.