A gunman believed to have killed six people in the centre of Krakow died in hospital this morning, police have said. A British man was among those shot dead in the suspected terror attack, with the 24-year-old suspect also thought to have killed three members of his own family.
Police confirm suspect's death
In an update on X, Malopolska Policja said: “We would like to confirm the perpetrator of the tragic events died in hospital this morning.”
Some 16 people, including another British citizen, were left injured following the shooting in Main Square on Saturday afternoon. Four women and two men were killed, with local authorities confirming three of the women and one man were Polish.
Victims and injuries
Among the injured, five were foreign nationals, from the UK, Portugal, Russia, Germany and Austria.
Officers found three bodies while searching the alleged attacker’s home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a city 93 miles from Krakow. They were later identified as his sister, mother and father.
Suspect's arrest and background
The suspected gunman, known only as Michal O, was arrested on a nearby street after attempting to escape in a car. He is believed to have discharged an AR-15-style rifle, a civilian version of a military-style gun, and ammunition was recovered inside the vehicle.
Two officers were injured in a gunfire exchange with the alleged attacker, officials confirmed. While the motive for the shooting remains unclear, authorities cited the shooter as being “fascinated by far-right ideologies”.
Michal was described as an “aloof” man who always donned black clothes. A local told tabloid Fakt: “He’s a little strange. He never spoke. If he did speak – which was rare – he’d just say hello. Otherwise, he’d keep his hood pulled over his head.”
