Kraków Main Market Square Shooting: How the Attack Unfolded

How did the Kraków shooting unfold?

Shortly after 3 pm on Saturday, November 7, a man drove into Kraków’s Main Market Square and began firing from a car. The city reported gunfire near Sławkowska Street, which runs into the square. Police said the gunman fired at people at random.

Police initially reported five deaths. The regional government raised the toll to six, and Kraków’s city website carried the revised figure. The Associated Press reported 15 people wounded. Two police officers were among the injured, according to Polish broadcaster RMF24, which cited the interior minister on their condition.

Why were police working on streets beyond the square?

The city’s account names three locations. One was the area around Sławkowska Street. Kraków’s transport operator said someone in a passing car also fired at a No. 1 tram in All Saints Square, breaking the window of the driver’s cab. The driver and passengers escaped injury.

Police shot and detained the suspect near the intersection of Dietla and Stradomska streets. He was taken to hospital. That explains why emergency teams were visible away from the Main Market Square itself. Police and prosecutors were working at the scene, and the city set up a crisis team. Mayor Łukasz Gibała announced mourning in Kraków through November 11.

What have police said about the suspect?

Kraków police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło told broadcaster TVN24 that the suspect acted alone. Police identified him as a Polish citizen and said they found additional weapons and ammunition in his car. Cisło described the weapon used in the shooting as a military-type long gun and said the suspect wore military-style clothing.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said police were examining the background and circumstances of the attack. Investigators are still trying to establish a motive and how the suspect obtained the firearm.

Where is the Main Market Square, and can cars normally enter the Old Town?

Rynek Główny, as the square is called in Polish, sits at the centre of Kraków’s medieval merchants’ town. The old city, chartered in 1257, is part of the Historic Centre of Kraków that UNESCO lists as a World Heritage Site. The square is surrounded by streets that connect it to the rest of the city. The reports of a tram being hit and of the arrest came from elsewhere in the centre.

The city restricts traffic in its Old Town zone. Its published rules describe exceptions for vehicles such as taxis, deliveries during designated hours and emergency services. That guidance covers the wider zone, with restrictions and exceptions marked at entrances. The city’s account of the shooting gives the location of the first reports. It leaves open the route by which the car reached the square.

How does Poland regulate civilian access to firearms?

Poland generally requires authorisation to possess modern firearms. Permits are issued for specific purposes, including hunting, sport shooting and collecting. Poland’s Supreme Audit Office says requirements can include showing a valid reason, passing medical and psychological checks, and demonstrating knowledge of firearm rules and handling.

In a July 2026 audit, the office said police had issued more than 15,000 civilian firearm permits in 2020 and nearly 46,000 in 2024. Those figures count permits issued. One person can hold several. Poland launched its weapons register in 2024. The auditors found gaps in its records and in checks on whether some permit holders still qualified. They also found that police and military gendarmerie data would have to be brought together to build a reliable picture of civilian gun ownership. Police have yet to say whether the suspect had a permit.