Krakow after the crime - the status of the investigation
Six dead in attack, national mourning and terrorism investigation
Quick Look
- Nach der Schusswaffenattacke in Krakau mit sechs Toten und 16 Verletzten trauert Polen unter Staatstrauer.
- Die Staatsanwaltschaft ermittelt wegen Terrorismusverdachts.
- Der mutmaßliche 24-jährige Täter ist schwer verletzt und nicht vernehmungsfähig.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Poland is observing two days of national mourning following the gun attack in Krakow on Saturday in which six people were killed and 16 injured. The police are investigating a terrorist crime. The suspected perpetrator is a 24-year-old Pole who is not fit to be interviewed. Three members of the shooter's family were also found dead in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski.
After the devastating gun attack in the tourist hotspot of Krakow, Poland is still in shock - and is looking for answers. Hundreds of people remembered the victims of Saturday's attack, for example at a memorial service last night in Kraków's University Church. People also gathered in the market square where the shooter had shot, lit candles and remembered the victims.
"It's a tragedy - there's nothing more to say about it. There's never been anything like this in Krakow and somehow we have to get through it now," said one of the mourners. In Krakow and throughout Poland the flags are at half-mast and there is two days of national mourning. Cultural events were canceled and psychological emergency numbers were set up. Some cities also increased protection of public spaces.
Public prosecutor's office investigates suspicion of terrorism
The police are now investigating a terrorist offense, specifically the killing of six people and the attempted murder of numerous others, "and this act had a terrorist character," the public prosecutor's office announced on the X platform.
The suspected shooter is a 24-year-old Pole. The investigators found a total of eleven weapons on him. According to police, he had no criminal record. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said on Saturday evening that the perpetrator was fascinated by "extreme right-wing" ideologies and that this needed to be checked. A day later, he did not take back his words, but emphasized that we had to wait for the investigation.
The motive of the alleged perpetrator remains unclear. Authorities said he was not fit to be interviewed. He was injured during the arrest and has been hospitalized in critical condition ever since. Security forces apparently monitor him around the clock.
Shooter's family members found dead
The suspected perpetrator killed a total of six people between the ages of 32 and 61, and 16 other people were injured, some of them critically. At the same time, the public prosecutor's office said the murder of three people in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski was being investigated.
In the city two hours' drive northeast of Krakow, the shooter's father, mother and sister were found dead and with gunshot wounds in the family home. The evidence suggests that these acts were committed by the same person, it said.
With information from Palina Milling, ARD Studio Warsaw
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The investigation into suspected terrorism will continue as soon as the perpetrator is ready for questioning.
Very likely · Within weeks
Security measures in public places in Polish cities will remain reinforced.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What was the exact motive of the perpetrator?
- Has the suspicion of extreme right-wing ideologies been confirmed?
- How was the perpetrator connected to the family members who were killed?
