6 Killed in Krakow Market Square Shooting, Police Say

Six people were killed and at least 16 others were taken to hospital after a gunman opened fire in Krakow's Main Market Square on Nov. 7, according to BBC News. Police shot and arrested the attacker, who survived, and later found three more bodies at his home. Here is what has been confirmed, what remains uncertain, and how authorities reached each finding.

How did the attack unfold in Krakow's Main Square?

The attack began shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) when a man drove into Krakow's Main Market Square and began firing "at random people from his car," police told the BBC. A passing tram was also struck by gunfire, shattering windows, though no passengers were injured, the BBC reported. Armed officers reached the square and exchanged fire with the attacker, who was shot within three minutes of the shooting starting — a response officials said prevented further casualties, per the BBC's reporting. The suspect's car was later found at the intersection of Dietla and Stradomska streets and was being checked for possible explosives, police said. City officials urged residents and tourists to avoid the area while the investigation continued, and nearby buildings were evacuated, according to the BBC.

How many people were killed or injured?

Six people — four women and two men, including a British national — were confirmed dead, the BBC reported. Three of the victims are Polish nationals and two have not yet been identified. Sixteen people, including five foreigners and the attacker himself, were hospitalized, among them two police officers wounded while detaining the suspect. One officer was described as being in a "very critical condition" by a Polish government minister, who said the officer was shot three times and was undergoing surgery, according to the BBC's account. Separately, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said three additional bodies — two women and one man — were discovered at the gunman's house during a search conducted after the attack, the BBC reported. Authorities have not said whether those three deaths are connected to the square shooting or occurred separately.

What is known about the suspect and a possible motive?

Police identified the attacker as a 25-year-old Polish man but have not released his name, per the BBC. He was wearing "military-style attire" and carried a "military-grade weapon," a police spokesperson told the BBC, though authorities confirmed he was not a soldier. The BBC's summary notes the suspect is "suspected to have ties to the far-right," without detailing the evidence behind that characterization. "Many pieces of weapons and ammunition" were recovered, according to the partial police statement cited by the BBC. Beyond that, the record is thin: no manifesto, affiliation, or stated motive has been publicly confirmed as of this writing.

How did police end the attack?

Footage authenticated by BBC Verify shows an officer confronting the suspect on the ground and firing several times before the officer himself falls, apparently having been shot. The sequence matches police accounts that officers exchanged gunfire with the attacker and that two officers were wounded during the arrest. Shop windows around the square show damage consistent with bullet strikes, and glass was scattered across the pavement, the BBC reported from the scene.

What is still unconfirmed?

Several core facts remain open. The suspect's name, the identities of the two unnamed Polish victims, and the relationship — if any — between the square shooting and the three bodies found at his home have not been disclosed by Polish authorities, per the BBC. The precise motive, and whether the "far-right" characterization reflects confirmed evidence or an early investigative lead, has not been detailed in public statements so far. The condition of the critically wounded officer has also not been updated beyond the initial report that surgery was underway.

Glossary: terms used in this report

• Main Market Square: The central plaza of Krakow's Old Town, Poland's second-largest city, and the site of the shooting.
• Military-grade weapon: Police language, per the BBC, distinguishing the firearm's capability from a standard civilian weapon; does not by itself indicate the suspect had military ties.
• BBC Verify: The BBC's in-house unit that authenticates footage and claims circulating from breaking news scenes, cited here for the video of the officer-suspect confrontation.

HTT News previously reported on the police operation and the shooter's death toll as the story developed; see that earlier account for additional detail on the immediate police response.