By Gideon Maxwell
November 7, 2026
At approximately 3:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, a horrific mass shooting unfolded in the heart of Krakow, Poland’s second-largest city.
A lone gunman drove a vehicle directly into the bustling Main Market Square, a popular public space heavily frequented by locals and tourists, and began indiscriminately firing at random pedestrians from inside the car.
The sudden and violent attack left five people dead at the scene.
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More than ten others sustained various injuries, including local police officers who rushed to the scene to neutralise the threat.
Police response and apprehension
Emergency services, fire brigades, and armed police flooded the historical square shortly after the first emergency calls were received.
According to local authorities and police statements on social media platform X, responding officers engaged the gunman directly.
The suspect was shot and wounded during the confrontation before being taken into custody.
He was subsequently transported to a local hospital under heavy police guard.
Official reactions
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk took to social media to address the tragedy, describing it as a “tragic shooting”.
“I am being kept informed by the Minister of the Interior about the situation in Krakow… the police are investigating the background and all the circumstances of the attack,” Prime Minister Tusk wrote.
Municipal authorities and emergency services have cordoned off the expansive market square as forensic teams and counter-terrorism investigators comb the area for evidence.
Further updates regarding the identity of the shooter and a precise breakdown of the victims’ conditions are expected as the investigation continues.
