Gunman who killed six in Krakow dies in hospital
The 24‑year‑old shooter, identified as Michał Oksiński, died at about 4:30 a.m. on Monday after undergoing three surgeries, police said. On Saturday he opened fire from his car in Krakow’s historic Main Square, killing six people—including an Austrian woman and a British man—and wounding 15 others from Britain, Portugal, Russia, Germany and Austria. Earlier in the week he allegedly killed his parents and sister at their home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński described the attacker’s views as radical and ultranationalist, while Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek said the probe will determine if he acted alone or was inspired by a group. President Karol Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk joined a silent march in the square on Monday.
Key facts
- Two police officers who stopped the gunman remain hospitalized, one in critical condition.
- Various emblems on the suspect’s clothing have been partially examined.
- Police seized 11 firearms after finding the suspect and his father were members of a shooting club.
- Poland issued over 50 000 new gun licences in 2025, bringing the total to 411 000.
- The traditional St. Mary’s Trumpet Call was paused for the first time since World War II.
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Why it matters
The attack marks Poland’s deadliest mass shooting and raises concerns over extremist violence.
What changed
First published from The Independent, DW, Asharq Al-Awsat, Daily Maverick and ABC News (Australia)