Kraków shooting latest: terrorism investigation opened as police confirm gunman’s parents and sister found dead

Vigil on the Main Market Square on Monday evening

Kraków’s mayor Łukasz Gibała has called a solidarity vigil on the Main Market Square on Monday 9 November at 8pm local time (7pm UK), at the corner of the Rynek and ul. Sławkowska, to remember the victims of Saturday’s attack.

Pope sends condolences; President to honour the officers

Pope Leo XIV has sent his condolences to the Archbishop of Kraków, Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś. In a message passed on by the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths and injuries and expressed his “spiritual closeness” to everyone affected.

Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki intends to award state honours to the police officers who stopped the gunman, the head of the National Security Bureau, Bartosz Grodecki, confirmed. The Małopolska governor’s office says applications are being prepared with regional police.

Post-mortems from Monday; warning over fake news

Post-mortem examinations on all nine victims – the six people killed in Kraków and the suspect’s parents and sister in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski – will begin on Monday morning and are likely to continue into Tuesday, prosecutor Eryk Stasielak of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Kraków told the Polish Press Agency.

He said investigators believe the attacks in both towns were carried out by one and the same person. The 24-year-old suspect remains in a critical condition; if he survives, prosecutors will decide on Monday what steps to take involving him.

Warning over false information

Poland’s digital affairs minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said an emergency meeting was held overnight with the government’s anti-disinformation unit, after a surge in fake and unverified claims online. These include AI-altered images, false reports of a second gunman on the roof of St Mary’s Basilica, claims that the suspect was a serving soldier, and claims that police were absent or late. Police have denied those reports. Please only share information from official sources.

Investigation formally opened; injured officers brought round

Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office has formally opened an investigation into the killing of six people in Kraków and three in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, which will be handled as one case and classified as an act of a terrorist nature. Prosecutor Tomasz Waszczuk told Radio Kraków that terrorism is now “the version the prosecutor will treat as the most likely”.

There was some better news from hospital: the two injured police officers, Jakub Kulik and Artur Morański, have been brought round, and two more of the injured have been discharged.

Kraków’s mayor Łukasz Gibała has declared city mourning until 11 November, cancelling all city-run events, and proposed that the two officers be made honorary citizens of Kraków. City officials say they will review security around the Main Market Square; no decision has yet been made on this year’s Christmas market.

Art academy mourns student killed with her parents

Kraków’s Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts says a third-year painting student was murdered together with her parents, and that the sister of a member of staff was shot twice by the gunman on Saturday. The academy’s rector, Prof. Andrzej Bednarczyk, confirmed the news to students and staff on Sunday.

The academy has declared mourning until 11 November and cancelled its events, including the Open Eyes Art Festival. The rector asked people not to share unverified information or speculate about the tragedy on social media.

Shooting club: suspect and his father were members

Adam Chyb of the ŚWIT sports shooting centre, a club the suspect was linked to, told TVP Info that both the 24-year-old and his father were members. He said the suspect last appeared at the club at the end of August.

Prosecutors have already said the suspect held a firearms licence, and that the investigation will look at how he obtained it. Messages of condolence continue to arrive from abroad, including from Armenia’s prime minister Nikol Pashinyan, who said his country “stands in solidarity with Poland and its people at this difficult time”.

Prosecutors to open a terrorism investigation

Prosecutors in Kraków say Saturday’s attack will be classified as a terrorist offence. Tomasz Waszczuk, spokesman for the Kraków regional prosecutor’s office, told Polish television that a formal investigation will be opened on Sunday.

The 24-year-old suspect, who was wounded in the exchange of fire with police, is still in hospital under constant guard. His condition means he cannot yet be questioned or charged, and prosecutors say that may not be possible for hours or even days. Whatever the final legal classification, he could face life imprisonment.

Early findings suggest the suspect held a firearms licence. Prosecutors say the investigation will look at how he obtained it, as well as his background, personal connections and the events leading up to the attack. Further examinations along the car’s route are taking place today, and CCTV footage is being secured.

Main Market Square closed again as police retrace the gunman’s route

Kraków’s Main Market Square and the streets around it are closed to pedestrians on Sunday morning while police carry out a second, daylight examination of the scene. Małopolska police spokeswoman Katarzyna Cisło told Radio Kraków that more than 100 witnesses have come forward.

Police have reconstructed the attacker’s route. He drove onto the square from plac Szczepański, crossed it near St Mary’s Basilica and headed down ul. Grodzka towards ul. Stradomska. At the junction of ul. Dietla and ul. Stradomska he collided with another car and was detained by officers.

Closures may also affect plac Wszystkich Świętych and ul. Grodzka, Podzamcze, św. Gertrudy and Stradomska. Police are asking people not to come to the Rynek today; officers at every entrance will turn visitors away. The work is expected to take several hours.

The suspect’s motive is still unknown. Two of the injured women have now been discharged from hospital.

Police confirm: the three found dead were the gunman’s parents and sister

Police in Świętokrzyskie have confirmed that the two women and a man found dead in a flat in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski were the suspect’s father, 53, mother, 52, and sister, 21. Their bodies were found shortly before 10pm local time on Saturday.

Officers say the injuries were initially assessed as gunshot wounds. Seven firearms were secured in the flat. Counter-terrorism police, forensic teams and a prosecutor worked at the block through the night, and residents who had been evacuated have now been allowed back home. Police say searches are continuing at other locations.

In total, nine people are now known to have died: six in Kraków and three members of the suspect’s family in Ostrowiec.

The police officers who stopped the gunman

The two police officers who confronted the gunman have been named as Senior Constables Jakub Kulik and Artur Morański. Both are in a serious condition in hospital.

Jakub Kulik is a former soldier of Poland’s 6th Airborne Brigade, who recently left the army and joined the police. He was badly wounded in an exchange of fire with the attacker. His former brigade has appealed for blood donors with group AB Rh+, asking donors to say the blood is for Jakub Kulik.

Sixteen people remain in hospital, including the suspect and the two injured officers. Emergency services are still working on the Main Market Square and on ul. Dietla, and some trams and buses are diverted.

Two carriage drivers fighting for life

Two of Kraków’s horse-drawn carriage drivers, who work from the rank on the Main Market Square, are among the most seriously injured and are fighting for their lives in hospital, Radio Kraków reported on Sunday morning. The carriage rank on the Rynek has been closed.

Hospitals have appealed for blood donors to help the injured, including the police officer who was hurt while stopping the gunman. Poland is now in national mourning, which runs through Sunday and Monday.

Messages of condolence continue to arrive. Czech president Petr Pavel and prime minister Andrej Babiš have both written to Poland, and the Polish football association (PZPN) has asked for a minute’s silence before this weekend’s matches.

Separately, police in Kraków detained a 23-year-old man armed with a knife on ul. Kapelanka overnight, after officers fired shots. Police have not said whether that incident is connected to Saturday’s attack.

Three bodies found in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski

Police have found the bodies of three people in the block of flats in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski where the suspect lived. Police say they are most likely his parents and sister, but formal confirmation will come only when the investigation at the scene is finished.

Bomb disposal experts found no explosives in the gunman’s car, although ammunition had been found in it earlier. Six people remain confirmed dead in Kraków and 16 are in hospital, including the two injured police officers and the suspect. Prime Minister Donald Tusk paid tribute to the two seriously injured officers, saying they “probably saved many lives”.

Two days of national mourning began in Poland at midnight, after the president signed the order for Sunday 8 and Monday 9 November. Free, anonymous Polish helplines are available on 116 123 for adults and 116 111 for children and young people.

Two women and a man found dead at the gunman’s home

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has confirmed that two women and a man were found dead at the suspect’s home. “There are probably dead people in the attacker’s home,” he said earlier, as police and counter-terrorism officers searched the property. They are believed to be his closest family members.

Among the six people killed in Kraków were three Polish women and a British citizen, according to the latest police information reported by Radio Kraków. Two victims have not yet been identified. Portugal’s foreign ministry has confirmed that a Portuguese woman is among the injured.

Both injured police officers are in a serious condition after surgery. Thirty police crews were sent to the scene. Polish media report that five of Kraków’s horse-drawn carriage drivers, who work on the Main Market Square, are among the injured. The UK Foreign Office has not yet commented on the reported British victim. National mourning has been declared in Poland for Sunday 8 and Monday 9 November.

Prosecutors confirm suspect

Prosecutors’ spokesman Tomasz Waszczuk has confirmed that the man detained is 24-year-old Michał O., according to Polish media. Prosecutors are investigating together with Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) and are examining both ideological and personal motives. They have not yet established where he got his weapons.

No charges have been announced yet. Whether and when he can be questioned depends on his condition in hospital. The bodies found at his home are reported to be his parents and sister, but this has not been officially confirmed.

Three more people found dead at the gunman’s home

Three more people have been found dead at the suspect’s home in the Świętokrzyskie region, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said, citing drone footage from the police operation. They are believed to be close relatives of the attacker. If confirmed, the total number of people killed would rise to nine.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the situation is under control, asked people near the police operation to stay indoors, and urged the media not to publish footage of the ongoing operation.

Polish media report that the national police chief said one of the six people killed in Kraków was a British citizen, but this has not yet been officially confirmed by Polish authorities or the UK Foreign Office.

British citizen reported among the dead

A British citizen is among the six people killed in the Kraków attack, Poland’s national police chief Marek Boroń has said, according to Wirtualna Polska. Two of the victims were Polish women. The Foreign Office has not yet commented, and the victim has not been named.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk, speaking in Kraków after a meeting with the security services, called it terrorism: “Until now, we have not had such drastic cases of terrorism in Poland.” He said officers were entering the attacker’s home, that his car posed no explosive threat, and that he expected “any possible supporters of the attacker” to be detained very quickly. He thanked police officers who “saved many lives while risking death themselves”.

If you are worried about a British national in Kraków, call the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on 020 7008 5000 (24 hours).

Video: CCTV shows the moment the gunman opened fire

CCTV footage from a street on the edge of the Old Town shows a dark car pulling up as people walk past, and the moment the gunman opens fire on the public. People can be seen running for cover, and at least one person falls to the ground. The car then drives off towards the Main Market Square.

Warning: some viewers may find this footage distressing.

▶ Watch the CCTV footage on Energy Radio’s X account

Who is the suspect?

Polish media, citing unofficial police and ministry sources, identify the suspect as Michał O., a 24-year-old lathe operator from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski in south-central Poland. Under Polish law, suspects are usually identified only by their first name and the initial of their surname.

According to Wirtualna Polska, he held a permit for sporting firearms, had two guns registered in his name and trained at a shooting club in nearby Starachowice. Further weapons and a large amount of ammunition were reportedly found in his car. He is said to be seriously injured but in a stable condition in hospital.

Prosecutors have not yet confirmed which weapon was used, whether it was legally held, or what charges he will face. The interior minister says everything points to him acting alone and holding “very radical views”, but no motive has been officially given.

Five foreigners among the injured

Four of the six people killed have now been identified, and one of them is a foreign national, Poland’s interior minister said. Five of the 15 injured are foreigners. Their nationalities have not been released. If you are worried about a British national, call the Foreign Office on 020 7008 5000.

Police say the gunman used an AR-15-style rifle in 5.56mm calibre. Bomb disposal officers are checking his car at the junction of Dietla and Stradomska streets, and residents of nearby buildings are being evacuated. The Main Market Square and surrounding streets remain closed.

Kraków’s deputy mayor Jan Hoffman said the seriously injured police officer’s prognosis is good. Police are appealing for witnesses and anyone with photos or video from the scene to come forward.

“He acted alone and had very radical views”

Poland’s Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński has told a press conference in Kraków that everything indicates the gunman acted alone and held “very radical views”. His home is being searched. Kierwiński said police fired their first shots at the attacker within three minutes of the first call, and that their “lightning-fast reaction prevented a much bigger massacre”. Fire and ambulance crews were also on the scene within three minutes.

Polish police sources have named the suspect unofficially as Michał O., 24, from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski in central Poland. He reportedly held a firearms permit and had no criminal record. The defence minister has confirmed he never served in the Polish Armed Forces.

Poland’s president has begun the formal process to declare national mourning on Sunday 8 and Monday 9 November. Every football match in Poland this weekend will open with a minute’s silence. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany “stands with Poland”.

Latest from Kraków

Poland’s defence minister has said the attacker is not and never was a soldier in the Polish Armed Forces, contradicting earlier media reports. Małopolska Police have also rejected claims of a slow response, saying the first patrol began dealing with the attacker 23 seconds after the first call.

The UK Ambassador to Poland, Melinda Simmons, has expressed Britain’s solidarity with Kraków, alongside the US ambassador and EU leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen, who thanked the “heroic police officers” who risked their lives.

Kraków has opened a 24-hour psychological support line through its Crisis Intervention Centre on +48 12 421 92 82, with in-person help at Radziwiłłowska 8b. Theatres, cinemas and the Kraków Philharmonic have cancelled tonight’s performances, and Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś will celebrate a special Mass for the victims at St Mary’s Basilica at 4pm local time (3pm UK) on Sunday.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński has now held a press conference in Kraków – see the latest update above.

Latest from Kraków

The death toll rose to six after another victim died in hospital, police said. Regional governor Krzysztof Klęczar said 15 people are being treated in Kraków hospitals, including at the University Hospital, the Rydygier hospital and the military hospital. Polish media report that a foreign Erasmus student is among the injured.

Police have denied social media rumours that a police officer was killed and that a second attacker was on the run. “The only known perpetrator is in police hands,” Małopolska Police said. The Interior Ministry has confirmed the suspect is a Polish citizen. Polish media report that the car he drove was registered to his father, who legally owns several firearms – this has not been officially confirmed.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk is travelling to Kraków, where ministers and the heads of the security services will meet tonight. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński, national police chief Marek Boroń and the head of the National Security Bureau are also in the city. St Mary’s Basilica has been closed, the square and nearby streets are cordoned off, and trams are being diverted around the Old Town.

Video: people run for cover

Footage filmed in the Old Town as the shots rang out shows people running along the street and sheltering inside a doorway. Moments later a police car arrives.

▶ Watch the video on Energy Radio’s X account

Video: the moment the gunman was stopped

Footage from the scene shows a police officer confronting the attacker, who was dressed in military-style clothing, and detaining him on the street after shooting him. No victims are shown, but some viewers may find it distressing.

▶ Watch the video on Energy Radio’s X account