Krakow gunman dies in hospital as investigators examine family killings
Police announced the gunman's death on Monday as investigators continued examining a possible link between the Krakow attack and the deaths of his parents and sister.
By Hassan Ellis ·
The gunman responsible for killing six people in central Krakow on Saturday has died in hospital, Polish police said early on Monday, November 9. The attack in the city's historic main square also left 16 people wounded and was described as an unprecedented mass shooting in Poland.
Foreign nationals were among both those killed and those injured in the shooting. One of the six people who died was identified as a British citizen, and another was Austrian. The wounded included five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain.
Police subsequently discovered three more bodies at the suspect's home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, his hometown about 200 kilometres, or 124 miles, north of Krakow. Those found dead at the property were his parents and sister. All three had sustained gunshot wounds, according to the Prosecutor's Office.
Daniel Prokopowicz, a spokesperson for the Prosecutor's Office, said it was “highly likely” that the same person had carried out the killings in both Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski and Krakow. He stressed, however, that investigations were continuing. His statement indicated a suspected connection between the two locations without presenting that link as a completed investigative finding.
Prokopowicz also said investigators had recovered seven firearms from the family property, along with what he described as a “significant” amount of ammunition. The discovery of the weapons accompanied the investigation into the three deaths at the home, separate from the six deaths reported in Krakow's main square.
The attack also prompted a political dispute over its possible motivation. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said on Saturday that far-right ideology was likely to have inspired the shooting. Some nationalist politicians questioned that assessment, challenging the basis for the minister's public statement about the suspected motive.
Przemyslaw Czarnek, deputy leader of the conservative opposition PiS party, called on Kierwinski to explain what information supported his remarks. In a post on X/Twitter, Czarnek said the minister should face political consequences if he had misinformed the public. He also demanded immediate explanations and access to the information behind the statement.
Few other details about the suspect had emerged. He was a member of a shooting club, but information about him remained limited as investigators continued their work on the Krakow attack and the killings at his family's home.
