At least five people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a shooting in central Kraków, southern Poland, on Saturday afternoon, according to The Guardian, citing Polish police. Witnesses described gunfire from a vehicle near the city’s historic Main Market Square.
Emergency services were dispatched to the area on 7 November, with police responding to reports of shots fired in one of Poland’s busiest tourist districts.
Local news outlets reported multiple casualties, while an emergency medical helicopter landed in the square as rescue operations continued.
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Police have now reported at least five deaths and more than a dozen injuries. Authorities have not yet released a final breakdown of the victims or their conditions.
Witnesses describe gunfire from a vehicle
According to RMF FM’s reporting from Kraków, witnesses described a black car entering the Main Market Square area while shots were fired towards people nearby.
The station reported injuries and an emergency response at the scene. RMF FM also reported that a shop and a city tram were damaged during the incident; police had not independently confirmed those details in a comprehensive statement.
Separately, local news outlet LoveKraków reported that witnesses saw people fleeing as gunfire erupted near the square.
One witness described taking cover as shots were fired, before emerging to find people lying on the ground and bystanders attempting to help.
According to RMF FM, citing regional fire service spokesman Hubert Ciepły, the vehicle travelled along Sławkowska Street towards the Main Market Square as shots were fired. The full route and the number of attackers have not been independently established.
Police confirm at least five killed and more than a dozen injured
The Independent reported, citing Małopolska Police, that at least five people had died and more than a dozen were injured. The later police figures supersede preliminary reports from emergency services.
Earlier local reports, including LoveKraków, gave lower and differing casualty figures. Those first estimates should not be treated as the current death toll or added to the police figures.
Radio ESKA’s early coverage cited two deaths and ten injuries, before the later police update raised the reported toll.
Authorities had not released a complete public account of the victims’ identities or medical conditions.
Two police officers were among the injured, according to fire service spokesman Hubert Ciepły, as reported by The Independent. Emergency personnel treated casualties at the scene, while a helicopter operated by Poland’s air ambulance service attended the incident.
Police and rescue services urged people in the affected area to seek shelter and avoid exposing themselves to potential danger.
Police respond as circumstances remain unclear
Kraków police confirmed to Radio ESKA that officers had been urgently dispatched to the scene.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Saturday that he was receiving updates from the interior minister and that police were investigating the circumstances of the shooting, according to Onet’s report of his public statement. He did not announce a motive or identify a suspect.
Police reported that a suspect had been shot by officers, detained and taken to hospital, according to The Independent’s account of the police update. His identity and motive remain unconfirmed, and authorities have not established whether anyone else was involved.
Authorities have not publicly established whether the shooting was targeted or indiscriminate.
There is also no verified basis at this stage for describing the incident as terrorism or connecting it to organised crime, football-related violence or any particular nationality.
The Main Market Square, known in Polish as Rynek Główny, is the centre of Kraków’s historic Old Town and attracts large numbers of residents and international visitors.
The reported shooting prompted a substantial emergency response in an area normally used by pedestrians, tourists, restaurants and shops.
Investigation continues as key questions remain
As police investigate the incident, several important questions remain unanswered.
Investigators will need to establish how the shooting unfolded, identify the victims, determine the detained suspect’s motive and establish whether anyone else was involved.
The number of people killed and injured may also change as authorities establish a complete casualty count.
This is a developing story. Police have revised the initial casualty figures upwards and confirmed a suspect is in custody. Further details about the victims, injuries and motive are expected from investigators.
