Krakow Gunman Dies in Hospital After Police Shot Him in Main Market Square Attack

The gunman who killed six people in Krakow's Main Market Square on Saturday, November 7, 2026, has died in hospital, Polish police said early on Monday, November 9. The 24-year-old, identified in Polish media as Michal O., died at about 4:30 a.m. local time after being critically wounded when police shot him within minutes of the attack beginning. He had undergone at least three operations since Saturday.

Quick Answer: What Happened in Krakow

The 24-year-old gunman behind Saturday's mass shooting in Krakow died in hospital at about 4:30 a.m. on Monday, November 9, 2026, two days after police shot him in the city's Main Market Square. Six people were killed and at least 15 injured in the attack, and three more bodies — the gunman's father, mother and sister — were found at his family home, bringing the total death toll to nine. Poland's National Prosecutor's Office has opened a terrorism investigation, and officials say the suspect was likely inspired by far-right ideology.

How Police Announced the Gunman's Death

Police in the Malopolska region, which includes Krakow, announced the death early on Monday morning in a message posted on X. "We would like to inform you that the perpetrator of the tragic events died in hospital early this morning," the Malopolska Policja post said. Regional governor Krzysztof Jan Kleczar told broadcaster TVN24 that the man died at about 4:30 a.m. He had been in critical condition since Saturday afternoon, when he was wounded during a confrontation with armed officers in the city's Main Market Square, and had undergone at least three operations, the governor said.

The attack began shortly before 3 p.m. local time on Saturday, November 7, in one of the busiest public spaces in Poland's second-largest city. The gunman drove onto the Main Market Square — Rynek Glowny — and opened fire at random from inside his car. Police shot him within about three minutes of the attack beginning, a rapid response officials credited with preventing further deaths, and arrested him a few streets away after a shootout lasting about 20 minutes.

The Victims: Six Killed in the Square, Three at Home

Six people were killed in the attack in the square: four women and two men. Three of the dead were Polish citizens, one was a 32-year-old British national, and two victims had yet to be formally identified. At least 15 people were injured, including two police officers who were brought out of a medically induced coma on Sunday. The injured included citizens from the UK, Austria, Germany, Portugal and Russia. (Some reports put the injured figure at 16 or 17, counting the attacker and later hospital admissions.)

Later on Saturday evening, police searching the suspect's home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, about 150 kilometers northeast of Krakow, found the bodies of three people — his 53-year-old father, his 52-year-old mother and his 21-year-old sister. Prosecutors said it was highly likely the killings at the home and in Krakow were carried out by the same person, bringing the total number of people killed to nine. You can read our full report on the original attack here: Krakow Mass Shooting: Six Killed in Main Market Square as Poland Declares National Mourning.

Terrorism Investigation Continues Despite the Suspect's Death

Poland's National Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into murder and attempted murder, treating the attack as a terrorist offence. Prosecutors said the suspect's death does not halt the proceedings and that they will continue examining his motives. Autopsies on all nine victims began on Monday, November 9, and could take about two days, prosecutor Eryk Stasielak said.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the attack as an act of terrorism, and the government said the assailant, a 24-year-old from Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski with no criminal record who held a firearms licence, may have been inspired by far-right ideology. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said the suspect held far-right, ultra-nationalist views. Poland's Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime has joined the investigation to examine possible links to radical groups online. You can follow the latest updates on the Krakow investigation here.

Poland in Mourning After Its Worst Mass Shooting in Decades

Mass shootings are almost unheard of in Poland, a country with exceptionally tight gun laws, and officials described the attack as unprecedented in scale — the country's deadliest shooting since the fall of communism. President Karol Nawrocki declared two days of national mourning for November 8 and 9, 2026, and Krakow's mayor declared a period of mourning in the city until November 11. In a poignant break with tradition, the bugle call from St. Mary's Basilica — played every hour for centuries — fell silent for the first time since 1939 as a token of mourning.

As Poland mourns, investigators are working to establish the full sequence of events — including what happened at the suspect's family home before he drove to the square — and whether anyone else was involved in planning the attack. The Main Market Square, which draws around 16 million tourists a year, remained closed on Sunday as mourners placed candles at several spots nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the Krakow shooter die?

Yes. The 24-year-old gunman died in hospital at about 4:30 a.m. local time on Monday, November 9, 2026, two days after police shot him during the attack in Krakow's Main Market Square. He had been in critical condition and had undergone at least three operations. Polish police announced his death early on Monday morning.

How many people were killed in the Krakow shooting?

Nine people were killed in total. Six people — four women and two men — were killed in the Main Market Square on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Three more bodies, the gunman's 53-year-old father, 52-year-old mother and 21-year-old sister, were found at his family home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski later that evening.

When did the Krakow shooting happen?

The shooting began shortly before 3 p.m. local time on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in the Main Market Square (Rynek Glowny) in the historic center of Krakow, Poland's second-largest city. Police shot the gunman within about three minutes of the attack beginning.

How many people were injured in the Krakow attack?

At least 15 people were injured, including two police officers. Some reports put the figure at 16 or 17, depending on whether the attacker and later hospital admissions are counted. Twelve of the wounded were initially reported to be in life-threatening condition, and the two injured police officers were brought out of a medically induced coma on Sunday.

Is the Krakow shooting being investigated as terrorism?

Yes. Poland's National Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation into an act of terrorism. Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the assault an act of terrorism, and officials said the suspect was likely inspired by far-right ideology. Prosecutors said the suspect's death does not stop the investigation into his motives.

What mourning has Poland declared after the Krakow shooting?

President Karol Nawrocki declared two days of national mourning for November 8 and 9, 2026. Krakow's mayor declared a period of mourning in the city until November 11, and the traditional bugle call from St. Mary's Basilica was suspended for the first time since 1939.

Sources: Reuters, BBC, The Guardian, Deutsche Welle, Associated Press. Key facts verified against multiple reports on the gunman's death in hospital on November 9, 2026, and the attack in Krakow's Main Market Square on November 7, 2026.

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