Panic tore through Krakow’s Main Market Square on Friday after a gunman opened fire at random from a car, killing six people before police shot and arrested the suspect, officials said.
Four women and two men died in the attack in the main square of the southern Polish city. Sixteen other people were wounded, including two police officers hurt during a shootout with the suspect — one of them seriously — authorities said.
Police said the alleged gunman was a 24-year-old Polish citizen.
“The only known perpetrator of the incident is in police custody,” they added in a post on X. They did not mention a motive for the shootings.
“A man drove a car onto Krakow’s main square and began shooting at random people,” a Krakow police spokesman said earlier.
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He said the gunman was “neutralised and shot” by police officers and transported to hospital.
Police say the man acted alone and is Polish. “There is one perpetrator, it is a Polish man,” a spokesperson said.
Police began to receive reports at around 3pm (2pm Irish time) that a car from which shots were being fired at random people had entered the square.
The alleged black car of the supect in a shooting stands in the historic center of Krakow
The shooting happened at around 2pm Irish time in Main Market Square
Unverified footage circulating on social media appeared to show people sprinting away as shots rang out and police sirens echoed across the square.
Other video showed two people on blood-spattered paving stones as bystanders attempted to resuscitate them, while a third person lay motionless nearby.
“I saw shots being fired from the driver’s side window, and smoke was coming out,” a man who gave his name only as Konrad, and witnessed the shooting, told news website Interia.
“I ran to the police station in the main market square; when I burst inside, it was full of people hiding on the floor.”
Annette, a woman in her sixties, said “I saw a man shooting at people and walking around the square.
“It’s a tragedy for Krakow, we’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Krakow, in southern Poland and once the country’s capital, draws millions of visitors every year. In 2025, it was visited by 16.2 million people, the city said.
Katarzyna Cislo, a local police spokesperson, said: “The shooter was wearing military-like clothes and used military weapons. Many … weapons and ammunition were found in his vehicle too.”
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X that he was being kept informed about the incident in the historic centre of Krakow, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
He later headed to Krakow from the capital Warsaw, a government spokesperson said.
“I am being kept informed by the Minister of the Interior about the situation in Krakow following the tragic shooting,” he wrote in a post on X.
He added that “the police are investigating the background and all the circumstances of the attack” and said: “Our highest praise goes to the heroic police officers who risked their lives in the line of duty.”
Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki said he was “deeply concerned by reports of the tragic events in central Krakow”.
“My thoughts are with the victims, those injured and their families,” he wrote on X.
“I remain in contact with the relevant authorities and expect a full explanation of the circumstances
“The head of the National Security Bureau is on his way to Krakow. The safety of Poles is an absolute priority,” he added.
Shocked by news of a drive-by shooting this afternoon in central Krakow. My thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims & all who were injured. Our Embassy in Warsaw is monitoring the situation. Any Irish citizens in the area should follow the directions of local authorities.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee has said the Irish embassy in Warsaw is monitoring developments in Krakow.
She said any Irish citizens in the area should follow the directions of local authorities.
She said she was “shocked by news of a drive-by shooting this afternoon” and said her thoughts were with the “loved ones of the victims and all who were injured”.
A shop window is shattered after the shooting
Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek wrote on X that “prosecutors, police and all the relevant services are already working at the scene”.
He vowed that authorities would “ensure that the perpetrator of this crime is held fully accountable and severely punished”.
Police did not immediately advance any potential motives for the gunman.
Shootings are rare in Poland, an EU and NATO member on the alliance’s eastern flank that neighbours Ukraine.
The country was on high alert following a series of stabbings in October, which Mr Tusk at the time denounced as part of a “cult of violence”.
Warsaw, a staunch ally of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, has repeatedly warned of Russian sabotage and hybrid warfare on Polish soil, accusations rejected by Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered condolences, condemning what he called “a shocking crime”.
“Ukraine stands in solidarity with Poland and the Polish people. People have the right to safety,” he said on social media.”
