Kraków Gunman Dies in Hospital as Terror Probe Widens to Family Killings

The gunman who killed six people in Kraków’s Main Market Square on Saturday has died in hospital, Polish police said early on Monday, closing the immediate police operation while the investigation into the attack continues.

Małopolska Police, the regional force covering Kraków, announced the death in a post on X. “We would like to inform you that the perpetrator of the tragic events died in hospital early this morning,” the force wrote.

The 24-year-old had been in critical condition since Saturday afternoon, when armed officers shot him during a confrontation in the square. He underwent multiple surgeries over the weekend but did not survive his injuries.

His death comes as Polish prosecutors formally opened a terrorism investigation into the attack and widened the inquiry to the deaths of three members of his family, whose bodies were found at his home hours after the shooting. He is now suspected of nine killings in total.

The gunman dies in hospital

Saturday’s attack in Kraków’s Main Market Square began shortly before 3 p.m. local time, when the gunman drove a black Subaru into the square from Sławkowska Street and opened fire at random from his car. Police said he circled the square, firing at pedestrians, before officers caught up with him within minutes.

Officers shot the gunman within three minutes of the attack beginning, a rapid response officials credited with preventing further deaths. He was taken to hospital in critical condition, where he remained under guard until his death early on Monday.

Six people were killed in the square: four women and two men. Four of the victims were Polish, while a 32-year-old British man and an Austrian woman were also killed. At least 15 other people were wounded, including two police officers, although reports differ on the exact number, with some putting the injured total at 17.

Polish media named the first victim as Izabela Wozna, a 53-year-old artist and mother of four.

Both wounded officers remain in hospital, one in a serious condition, although one emerged from a coma on Sunday afternoon. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has described the two officers as heroes.

Three more bodies at the family home

Hours after the attack, police searching the gunman’s home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, a town in south-eastern Poland about 150 kilometres from Kraków, found three bodies. Police confirmed on Sunday that they were the gunman’s father, 53, his mother, 52, and his sister, 21.

Prosecutors said on Sunday that it was “highly likely” the same man killed them. Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek said the suspect faced murder charges in those killings as well.

The gunman was a 24-year-old Polish citizen from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski who held a firearms licence and had no criminal record, according to police. Polish media have named him only as Michał O., and police have not officially released his name. Officers found additional firearms and a large quantity of ammunition in his car.

Terrorism investigation opened

Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office has opened a formal terrorism investigation into the attack. In a statement, prosecutors said they were investigating “the killing of six people using a firearm, and the attempted murder of many others, including police officers, this act constituting a terrorist offence”.

Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek said the gunman “acted with the aim of seriously intimidating a large number of people, making this a terrorist offence”. The Guardian reported that prosecutors had opened the inquiry as two days of national mourning began on Monday.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the attack an act of terrorism and the deadliest shooting in Poland since the end of communism in 1989.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the gunman appeared fascinated by far-right ideology and held “very, very radical views”, though he stressed that this would have to be verified. Reporting that draws on Reuters, CNN and The Times said the government believes the attacker may have been inspired by far-right ideology, without giving further details. A spokeswoman for the interior ministry, Karolina Galecka, told radio TOK FM on Monday that the emblems on the perpetrator’s clothing were being examined by specialists.

Investigators are still working to establish a motive. With the suspect dead, the criminal case against him cannot proceed to trial, but the inquiry into his weapons, his movements and his motives will continue.

A rare attack in a country unaccustomed to mass shootings

Mass shootings are rare in Poland, where gun ownership is tightly controlled and most firearms are held for hunting or sport. The attack has shaken a country that has seen little of the mass gun violence familiar in the United States, where violent crime in the United States fell sharply in 2025, according to the Justice Department’s latest survey.

The square, known in Polish as Rynek Główny, is one of the largest medieval squares in Europe and was busy with residents and visitors when the shooting began.

The attack also follows a deadly shooting at Winston-Salem State University’s homecoming in the United States, where a man has been charged with murder.

As Poland begins two days of national mourning, the investigation continues, and officials said further details would be released as they are confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who was killed in the Kraków attack? Six people were killed in Main Market Square: four women and two men. Four were Polish, one was a 32-year-old British man and one was an Austrian woman. Three more people — the gunman’s father, mother and sister — were found dead at his home.
• Has the gunman died? Yes. Polish police said early on Monday, 9 November, that the 24-year-old had died in hospital from injuries sustained when officers shot him during the attack on Saturday.
• Is the attack being treated as terrorism? Yes. Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into the killings as a terrorist offence, and the prime minister and justice minister have both described the attack as terrorism.
• How many people were injured? At least 15 people were wounded, including two police officers. Reports differ on the exact figure, with some outlets reporting 17 injured.