A gunman opened fire from a car in Kraków’s Main Market Square at about 3 p.m. on November 7, 2026. Six people were killed. News reports gave differing injury totals—15 or 16—and police shot and detained the suspect, who later died in hospital.
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How the attack unfolded
Police said the gunman drove into the square and fired at people. Reports said he stopped at multiple locations to shoot. A tram was also fired at, but the available reports do not establish exactly when that happened in relation to the shootings in the square.
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Officers confronted the suspect, shot and wounded him, and took him into custody. He was hospitalized and underwent several surgeries before dying there on Monday, November 9, according to later reporting.
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Casualties and the injury-count discrepancy
Six people were killed in the square, including four women and two men. Reports differed on the number injured: some gave a total of 15, while others reported 16. The reports provided do not fully explain the difference.
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Three additional people were found dead at the suspect’s home, separate from the six killed in the square.
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What is known about the suspect
Later reports identified the suspect as a 24-year-old Polish citizen; some initial coverage described him as 25. He was reported to have worn military-style clothing and a bulletproof vest. Authorities described him as having far-right views, but that description alone does not establish a final motive or prove membership in an extremist group.
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Prosecutors said 11 firearms were found across the shooting scene and the suspect’s home. That figure does not mean all 11 were recovered from his car. The supplied reports do not establish which firearms were used or whether every weapon associated with the suspect was legally owned.
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The response and what followed
Poland’s defense minister called the attack an “act of terror.” The country began two days of national mourning on Sunday, November 8.
17 The Main Market Square fully reopened the day after the shooting.
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AFP described the attack as Poland’s deadliest shooting in decades. The available reporting supports that broad comparison, but not a more specific claim about its ranking since a particular year.
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