At least six people have been killed and 15 others wounded, including police officers and foreign nationals, in a shooting in the centre of Krakow in southern Poland.

Police said that a man drove onto the city’s Main Market Square at about 3pm (14:00 GMT) on Saturday and “began firing at random people from his car”. Four women and two men were killed.

Police said officers shot and detained the man, who acted alone. He has since been transported to hospital to receive treatment for his injuries.

A British national was among those killed, according to Polish police chief Marek Boron, and five foreigners were among the wounded in hospital. Boron said two of the victims had not yet been identified. The authorities have not disclosed the nationalities of all the victims.

The Ministry of the Interior confirmed that the suspect is a Polish citizen, with Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski saying he appeared to be “fascinated by far-right ideologies” and held “ultra-nationalist views”.

“During the arrest, officers used their weapons, but the man returned fire; as a result, two police officers are among the injured,” a police spokesperson said.

Kierwinski said that one of the police officers is in a critical condition. He also said that five foreigners were among the wounded hospitalised victims, and one foreign national was among those killed.

Kierwinski said a number of weapons were found in the car the suspect was driving.

According to police, the man was wearing military-style attire and used a semi-automatic rifle similar to a US AR-15.

‘Tragic’ shooting

In a post on X, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the “heroic” police response to the “tragic shooting”.

Tusk later told reporters in Krakow the shooting was an act of “terrorism”.

“Until now in Poland, we haven’t had such drastic cases of terrorism,” he said, adding: “That’s what we have to call this cruel attack on people’s lives here in Krakow.”

He announced two days of national mourning and said three bodies – two women and a man – had been found at the suspect’s home, with “much to suggest that they are members of the [suspect’s] immediate family”.

“I am being kept informed by the Minister of the Interior about the situation in Krakow,” he wrote on X, adding that “the police are investigating the background and all the circumstances of the attack”.

President Karol Nawrocki said his thoughts were with the victims, those affected, and their families.

Nawrocki said he was awaiting “a full explanation of the circumstances surrounding these dramatic events”, adding that the safety of Poles was “an absolute priority”.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski said on social media that he was “receiving dozens of messages from foreign ministers from all over the world offering their condolences”.

Tom Rose, the US ambassador to Poland, called the incident a “horrific mass shooting … a savage and murderous attack that’s shattered the peace of Poland”.

“America stands with Poland at this dark hour as Poland stands with her beloved citizens of Krakow,” he wrote on X.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was “shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting”.

“My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives, everyone injured and all those affected by this senseless violence,” he wrote on X.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany stands “shoulder to shoulder with Poland as a friend and partner during these difficult times”.

Located about 250km (155 miles) south of the capital, Warsaw, Krakow is the second-largest city in Poland and a popular tourist destination, attracting about 15 million visitors each year.

Deadly shootings are extremely rare in Poland, a European Union and NATO member with 38 million people. But the country was on high alert following a series of stabbings in October, which Tusk denounced as a “cult of violence”.

Saturday’s was Poland’s deadliest shooting since the fall of communism in 1989. The country has also seen a sharp rise in firearms licences, with more than 50,000 issued in 2025, bringing the total to 411,000, according to police figures.

The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on X on Saturday that “Poland does not stand alone”.

“The tragic loss of life in the shooting in Krakow is a tragedy that will be felt far beyond Poland,” Kallas said. “My thoughts are with the victims and their families and the first responders.”

Poland, a staunch ally of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, has repeatedly warned of Russian sabotage and hybrid warfare on Polish soil, accusations rejected by Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered condolences and condemned the “shocking crime”.

“Ukraine stands in solidarity with Poland and the Polish people. People have the right to safety,” he said on social media.