Krakow (Poland) (AFP) – A man opened fire on passers-by on Saturday in the tourist center of Krakow, in southern Poland, killing six and injuring a dozen, police announced to AFP.
Published on: 07/11/2026 - 17:29 Modified on: 07/11/2026 - 18:49
In Krakow, an AFP journalist saw people lying on the ground, numerous emergency vehicles and armed police officers as well as helicopters flying over the scene of the tragedy.
Around 3:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. GMT), the man, of Polish nationality according to the police, burst into the main square of the old town, which was very busy on this weekend day, and began shooting "at random", according to a spokesperson for the local police.
Police announced Saturday evening that one of the injured people had succumbed to his injuries, bringing the provisional death toll to six deaths, four women and two men.
Police said in a statement that police officers were among the injured.
“One of the police officers suffers from a gunshot wound, the condition of the second is very serious – three gunshot wounds,” the Minister of the Interior declared on X.
The perpetrator was neutralized by the police. Amateur images circulating on social media show a police officer shooting several times at a very short distance at a man in military uniform.
Sniper
The shooter was taken to hospital. Police said he was Polish and acted alone.
“It’s a tragedy for Krakow, we have never experienced something like this. I saw a man going around the square and shooting people,” a witness, Annette, aged around sixty, told AFP on the spot.
Like her, many witnesses were very shocked, in tears, taking refuge in neighborhood stores.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the Minister of the Interior announced that they were going there.
The head of government deplored on X “a tragic shooting”.
The President of the Republic Karol Nawrocki expressed his "immense concern" and declared on X that he was "in contact with the competent authorities" and that he was awaiting "a complete explanation of the circumstances of these dramatic events". “The security of Poles is an absolute priority,” he added.
The head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, deplored a “tragedy”.
“In this moment of mourning, Poland is not alone,” assured the European official. The “repercussions” of this event “will be felt well beyond the borders of Poland,” she underlined in a publication on X.
The shooter's motives were not immediately known. Police found other weapons and a large quantity of ammunition in the suspect's car, Katarzyna Cislo of Krakow police told TVN24 news channel, adding that he was 24 years old.
Donald Tusk launched "an urgent appeal to political leaders of all sides" not to make "this tragedy an instrument of political games".
Alert status
Fatal shootings are rare in this Eastern European country of 38 million people, a member of the EU and NATO.
But the country was on high alert after a series of knife attacks in October, which Tusk denounced as part of a "cult of violence" fueled by social media.
Warsaw, Ukraine's steadfast ally since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, has repeatedly warned of Russian sabotage and hybrid warfare on Polish soil, accusations Moscow rejects.
Krakow, in southern Poland, is an ancient, historic capital that attracts millions of tourists every year.
In 2025, it welcomed 16.2 million visitors, the municipality said.
© 2026 AFP
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