Krakow Shooting Attacker Dies in Hospital

The man behind Saturday's mass shooting in Krakow, which claimed six lives and left fifteen people injured, died in hospital on Monday morning, Polish police have confirmed.

The 24-year-old Polish national was critically wounded during a shootout with police shortly after the attack in the historic old town. Officers from the Małopolska regional police force announced his death on social media platform X, stating: “We inform you that the perpetrator of the tragic events passed away in hospital this morning.”

The attack unfolded on a busy square in Krakow's old town, a popular tourist destination. Dressed in military-style clothing, a mask and a helmet, and armed with a semi-automatic rifle, the attacker opened fire on passers-by from his vehicle. Six people were killed at the scene, including a British national and an Austrian woman. Fifteen others were wounded, among them five foreign citizens.

Police responded within minutes, triggering a pursuit through the city. The suspect, driving a black Subaru, eventually crashed into a stationary vehicle at an intersection. He then exited the car and exchanged gunfire with two officers, wounding both, before being shot and critically injured.

Investigators later discovered the bodies of three more people – believed to be the attacker's parents and sister – at a family home about two hours' drive from Krakow. All had gunshot wounds, bringing the total number of victims to nine.

Poland's interior minister has said the attacker was “fascinated by far-right ideologies,” and an investigation has been opened into a criminal act with “terrorist characteristics.” The suspect's motives remain under scrutiny as authorities work to piece together the events leading up to one of the country's deadliest shootings in recent years.