Polish prosecutors have launched a formal terrorism investigation into the Saturday attack in Krakow, where 24-year-old Michal O. drove through the historic city centre and fired from his vehicle. The rampage killed six people and injured 16 others, marking the first mass public shooting of this type in a country with one of Europe’s lowest levels of gun ownership. Three victims were Polish women aged 47, 53, and 61, while a 32-year-old British man and a foreign woman aged 51 also died. A Polish man in his 50s was the final fatality. Interior minister Marcin Kierwinski stated that initial findings indicate the suspect held "very radical far-right views," though investigators are still confirming this motive. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced two days of official mourning, a decree signed by President Karol Nawrocki.
Victims and response details
The National Prosecutor’s Office treats the killings as a terrorist offence while simultaneously investigating three gunshot deaths in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, Michal O.’s hometown. Prosecutors say evidence indicates the same person committed acts in both locations, where bodies believed to be the perpetrator’s parents and sister were found. Two police officers, Jakub Kulik and Artur Moranski, engaged in a firefight with the attacker and sustained critical injuries. Governor Krzysztof Kleczar called them heroes, noting that without their intervention, the victim count could have been significantly higher given the number of weapons remaining in the car. Kulik is a former soldier from the elite 6th Airborne Brigade headquartered in Krakow. Defence minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote that the military community is proud of him and will support his family. A public fundraiser led by media personality Krzysztof Stanowski has raised over 3.5 million zloty for the officers.
Medical care and legal status
Michal Pedziwiatr, a professor of surgery at Jagiellonian University, rushed to the scene after seeing the police subdue the attacker. He told the Fakt newspaper that his colleague Mateusz Wierdak stopped the bleeding on Kulik, an action that undoubtedly saved his life. Pedziwiatr then called a local hospital best equipped to treat the officer so they could prepare for his arrival. Authorities confirmed that Michal O. holds a firearms licence and used an AR-15-style rifle during the incident. Police also found other firearms in his vehicle. A shooting club in Starachowice issued a statement clarifying that the suspect "has never been trained in dynamic, tactical or combat shooting in our club." They added that the club is fully cooperating with authorities. Because Michal O. underwent several surgeries overnight and remains in critical condition, law-enforcement authorities have not yet formally taken him into detention. Public authorities launched a blood donation drive for Kulik, who remains in critical condition, reporting that they were overwhelmed by the number of people coming forward.
