Polish prosecutors have opened a terrorism investigation after a gunman opened fire in a busy market square in Kraków on Saturday afternoon, killing six people, one of them a British national. Seventeen others were injured in the attack, and the suspect, a 24-year-old man, is reported to hold far-right views.
Authorities say the attack was probably inspired by far-right ideology. The suspect's views are central to the inquiry, which is being pursued under counter-terrorism provisions. Officials have not yet established the full motive, and it is not known whether the attacker acted alone or had any accomplices.
The shooting unfolded in one of the most visited public spaces in the Polish city, with shoppers, visitors and tourists in the area at the time. Emergency services attended a large number of casualties, and the injured were taken to hospital for treatment. The Briton who died has not been named in the material available to this newsroom, and the authorities have not released further details about the victims beyond their nationality.
Police later found three bodies at the suspect's home, which they linked to the family. The dead were the suspect's father, aged 53, his mother, aged 52, and his sister, aged 21. Police confirmed the discovery of the home deaths on Sunday. Investigators have not established whether these deaths are connected to the attacker's actions, and that question remains open as the inquiry continues.
The prosecutors' decision to pursue a terrorism investigation signals that the authorities regard the attack as ideologically motivated rather than an isolated criminal act. Further details about the suspect, the sequence of events and any wider network are expected as the investigation proceeds. Residents and visitors in Kraków are being kept informed through official channels.
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