Gunman kills six in Krakow’s Main Square in what Polish officials call an act of terror

A gunman drove into the Main Market Square in Krakow, Poland, on Saturday and opened fire with an automatic weapon from his vehicle, killing six people, four women and two men, and wounding at least 15 others, among them two police officers. Officers shot the attacker, a Polish man in his mid-20s, who was taken to hospital. A British citizen is among the dead, and the wounded include people from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the bodies of three people, believed to be close relatives of the suspect, had been found at his home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Police also found weapons and ammunition in his car.

Polish officials called the shooting an act of terror. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the suspect appeared to have been influenced by far-right ideology. Krakow has declared official mourning until Wednesday. Reported casualty figures and the suspect’s exact age still differ slightly between news agencies.

Why it matters

This is today’s highest-impact story because an attack that officials link to far-right ideology struck a historic city square, killing and wounding Poles and visitors from at least five other countries. It is likely to shape debates in Poland and across Europe about extremism, access to firearms and the security of public spaces. What to watch: how the suspect obtained the weapons, what investigators find at his home, whether he survives to face trial, and how Poland’s government responds.

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