Deadly Shooting Rocks Poland’s Krakow as Gunman Kills Five, Injures 12

At least five people were killed and 12 others injured after shots were fired from a moving vehicle in Krakow’s Main Market Square in southern Poland on November 7, triggering a major police operation in the city’s historic center.

According to Reuters, citing Polish police, the death toll was confirmed after initial reports indicated two fatalities. The shooting occurred shortly after 3 p.m. near Sławkowska Street, which leads toward the city’s main square.

Hubert Ciepły, spokesperson for the Lesser Poland State Fire Service, confirmed that shots had been fired from a passing vehicle. Emergency crews rushed to the scene, and an air ambulance helicopter landed in the square.

Polish radio station RMF FM reported that the attacker or attackers appeared to have targeted random pedestrians. Witnesses described people fleeing into nearby businesses as gunfire erupted. A shop and a public transport tram were reportedly damaged during the incident.

According to Associated Press, police officers were among those wounded. The gunman reportedly fired at random pedestrians while driving through the square before being shot and wounded during a confrontation with police.

Krakow’s municipal authorities confirmed that police were also conducting an operation on Dietla Street. Emergency services urged residents and tourists to avoid the Main Market Square and seek shelter while police searched for those responsible.

In an official statement, Krakow authorities confirmed that five people had been killed and more than ten injured. Police also confirmed that the suspected attacker had been shot by officers and was being transported to a hospital.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he was receiving regular updates from the interior minister and confirmed that police were investigating the circumstances and possible motives behind the attack.

On October 11, Polish authorities detained a man in his 60s suspected of planning an assassination attempt against Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. According to Reuters, the suspect was apprehended in Lower Silesia after investigators analyzed his online activity.

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