Krakow: gunman who attacked Main Square dies in hospital; a British citizen among the victims

The man who opened fire on Krakow's Main Square on 7 November 2026 died in hospital early on Monday 9 November, Lesser Poland police said. Lesser Poland governor Krzysztof Klęczar told TVN24 that he died at 4.30am.

What happened

According to police and prosecutors, the 24-year-old drove a car onto the square and began shooting at random people. Six people were killed and more than a dozen were injured. Sources give different figures for the injured: 15 or 16, including two police officers. The suspect was shot during the officers' intervention and detained. His condition was critical from the start and, according to the governor, he underwent at least three operations.

Poland's chief of police, Gen. Marek Boroń, said one of the dead is a British citizen. At least five foreign nationals are among the injured.

Condition of the injured

Governor Klęczar said 15 injured people are in six Krakow hospitals and their condition has not changed. The two injured police officers were brought out of a medically induced coma on Sunday. One is in a stable condition; the other, according to rp.pl, is still in a serious condition.

The investigation

The attacker was Michał O., a 24-year-old Polish citizen living in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said he had no previous convictions or police record and acted alone. Prosecutors have preliminarily established that he held a firearms licence. In his flat in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, police found the bodies of three members of his immediate family, as well as seven firearms. More weapons and ammunition were secured in his car.

The investigation is led by the Lesser Poland branch of the National Prosecutor's Office. It covers both the attack in Krakow and the killing of three people in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Investigators say the same person was responsible for both. Prosecutors said the suspect's death does not halt the proceedings and that they will examine his motives. Post-mortem examinations of the nine victims began on Monday and may take about two days.

Krakow's Main Square has been reopened to residents and tourists.

What this means for you

For people who have family in Krakow or plan to travel there, the Main Square is open again. The sources mention no restrictions for travellers. Information on the situation of British citizens in Poland can be checked in the Foreign Office's travel advice.