KRAKOW, Poland — Poland began two days of national mourning after a 24-year-old gunman opened fire in Krakow's Main Square on Saturday afternoon, killing six people and wounding at least 15 more in what the country's defense minister called an "act of terror." Authorities say the suspect held "very radical" far-right views, and prosecutors believe he also killed three members of his own family at their home earlier.

Key Takeaways

• The toll: Six people were killed in Krakow's Old Town square on Nov. 7, including Polish nationals, a British man and an Austrian woman, and 15 were wounded.
• The suspect: A 24-year-old man was shot by police at the scene; Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said he was "fascinated by far-right ideologies," though motive remains under investigation.
• His family: The suspect's father, mother and sister were found dead with apparent gunshot wounds at the family home, and prosecutors say it is "highly likely" the same person was responsible.
• Why it matters: Poland is a rare site of mass shootings, and the attack has triggered tighter security, a terrorism investigation and a political fight over what officials know.

A Tourist Hub Turned Crime Scene

The attack took place around 3 p.m. local time in the Main Square of Krakow's Old Town, a UNESCO-listed site and one of Poland's busiest tourist destinations in the country's second-largest city. The Associated Press reported that the assailant drove into the square and then opened fire. Reuters reported he was armed with a semi-automatic rifle.

Of the six killed, four were women and two were men, according to the AP. Malopolska Governor Krzysztof Klęczar said three of the women and one of the men were Polish, while a British man and an Austrian woman were also among the dead. Among the wounded were five foreign nationals from the United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, Germany and Austria. Reuters put the wounded count at 16 including two police officers and the suspect; the AP counted 15 wounded.

Two Officers Stopped the Attack

Two police officers confronted the gunman in a close-range exchange of fire and were both wounded. Reuters reported both were conscious by Sunday afternoon and had undergone surgery. Klęczar credited the "efficient and selfless intervention" of the two officers and said the number of victims could have been significantly higher. Video of the aftermath showed an officer firing repeatedly at the attacker as he lay in the street before the officer himself collapsed. Two local surgeons, Michał Pędziwiatr and Mateusz Wierdak, helped treat the wounded officer at the scene, and Wierdak stopped bleeding in the officer's chest, the AP reported.

The suspect was in critical condition after multiple surgeries in the initial reports. A Monday roundup from the legal and national security site Just Security said he later died in hospital; USA Herald could not independently confirm the time or circumstances.

The Far-Right Question

Kierwinski said the suspect holds "very radical" and "ultranationalistic" views and that "everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies." On Sunday he told TVN24 that officials were "not passing judgement" and that the motive investigation is continuing. Prosecutors opened an investigation into murder and attempted murder of multiple people, including police officers, describing the act as constituting a terrorist offense.

Kacper Rekawek, a senior researcher at the International Center for Counterterrorism, told the AP the suspect's military-style gear and weapons resembled other "extreme right lone actors" in Europe. That is an expert comparison, not an official finding. A shooting club in Starachowice where the suspect is believed to have trained said it offered only "static shooting" and that he "was never trained in our club" in tactical or combat techniques.

The government's claim is already politically contested. Przemysław Czarnek, deputy head of the opposition Law and Justice party, wrote on X that if Kierwinski "has misinformed the public, he should face political consequences," and demanded to see the information the minister relied on, according to Reuters. Some nationalist politicians have questioned the basis for the far-right label.

The Family Home

Police also went to the suspect's family home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, where they found his father, mother and sister dead, apparently from gunshot wounds. Prosecutor's spokesperson Daniel Prokopowicz said it was "highly likely" the same person carried out both sets of killings. The academy where the sister studied identified her as a 21-year-old student at the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts. Officials seized seven weapons from the home, bringing the total recovered to 11, including four found on the suspect or in his car, and both father and son held gun permits, the AP said.

About 411,000 people hold gun permits in Poland, a country of roughly 37 million, and interest in gun ownership has been rising, according to the AP. No source has reported any change to Polish gun law so far.

A Nation in Mourning

Poland declared two days of national mourning beginning Sunday. Residents left candles and flowers beside bullet holes in the square, and flags at Krakow's city hall flew at half-mast. A memorial service was held at St. Anne's Church. The hourly trumpet call from St. Mary's Basilica was suspended overnight, which the AP described as the first time since World War II. Security was tightened in Warsaw and other cities, and the square reopened late Sunday. The Krakow Academy of Fine Arts said in a statement that "nothing will ever be like before."

A Rzeczpospolita editorial, cited by Reuters, called the attack a "brutal end to an era" in which Poland was viewed as an island of safety.

What It Means for Americans

Two of the dead and five of the wounded were foreign visitors, and Krakow draws large numbers of American travelers each year. The attack also fits a pattern that European security officials have warned about: lone attackers radicalized online who combine legally held weapons with extremist ideology. Investigators in Poland have yet to establish a motive, and officials are cautioning that key facts, including the suspect's precise views and any contacts, are still being examined. USA Herald will continue to track the investigation.