Six people shot dead in the street, a suspect with “ultranationalist” ideas, three bodies found at his home... What we know about the attack in Poland

A country in shock. The day after an attack which left six dead and 15 injured in Krakow on Saturday November 7, Poland began two days of national mourning. The events occurred around 3 p.m., on the famous market square of the former historic capital. A man armed with a semi-automatic rifle fired into the crowd from a car window, causing panic in the busy streets of this tourist district. The Polish prosecutor's office announced on Sunday that it had opened an investigation into an act of a "terrorist nature". Here is what we know about this killing.

Four women and two men killed in the street

Police report six people killed in central Krakow: four women and two men. Among them, three Polish women and a citizen of the United Kingdom. Two victims have not yet been identified. In addition, 15 people were injured by the attacker: 10 of them are of Polish nationality, including two police officers, and five are of British, Portuguese, Russian, German and Austrian nationality, police told the PAP agency on Sunday.

According to a police spokeswoman quoted by Polish media, their state of health has improved slightly but not all of them are out of danger yet. To help Jakub Kulik, one of the two injured police officers, the Minister of Justice, Waldemar Zurek, launched an appeal on X to encourage citizens to donate blood: “He has a broken lung and needs every drop of blood,” he wrote.

A shooter sensitive to “ultranationalist” ideas

At the time of the incident, the police said they “received several calls from terrified passers-by”. The teams intervened within minutes. The shooter, dressed in military uniform, tried to flee at the wheel of a black Subaru and opened fire on the police, who returned fire and managed to immobilize him. Two officers were hit by his shots. Seriously injured, the attacker remained in critical condition on Sunday morning, according to the police spokesperson.

In his vehicle, authorities discovered and seized a large number of other weapons, as well as ammunition. The Minister of the Interior put forward on Saturday evening the hypothesis of a man sensitive to “ultranationalist” ideas. “Everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies,” he said. The assailant was identified in the Polish press as Michal O. Aged 24, he had no criminal record and was a member, with his father, of a shooting club, according to investigators.

Three bodies discovered in his apartment

The man lived in an apartment in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a medium-sized town two hours' drive from Krakow. “We discovered the bodies of three people [in the home]: a 53-year-old man and two women aged 52 and 21. They are the parents and the sister” of the author, the police said in a press release on Sunday, specifying that they had “bullet wounds”.

Reactions from around the world

Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks of an act of terrorism. “This is what we should call this atrocious attack on the lives of people here in Krakow.” On X, he expresses to the victims and their loved ones his “deep feelings of compassion”, promising to elucidate “all the circumstances of this crime”. Donald Tusk calls on politicians not to exploit the tragedy: “Do not play on this tragedy,” he urges.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki said he took note “with immense concern” of the information concerning the facts.

Emmanuel Macron transmitted on X “all our solidarity, our sincere condolences and our sympathy” to Poland and the victims. The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky speaks of a “shocking crime” and the President of the Italian Council, Giorgia Meloni, describes this “act of violence” as “cowardly and unacceptable”. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said he had received dozens of messages from his counterparts around the world.