Poland opens terrorism investigation after Krakow square shooting kills six

Polish prosecutors opened a terrorism investigation on Sunday, November 8, after a gunman killed six people in the centre of Krakow on Saturday afternoon. Three more people were found dead at the suspect's home in his hometown of Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, and prosecutors say the evidence points to the same person. The suspect is alive, in critical condition and under police guard. We have not found a statement or press release on the official Polish government sites yet, so everything below is attributed to the officials as quoted by Notes from Poland, ABC News and a dpa report carried by Yahoo.

What officials have said

The investigation covers six killings and numerous attempted murders, including of police officers, and is being treated as a terrorist offence, according to Notes from Poland. ABC News quotes prosecutor Tomasz Waszczuk as saying that "the findings so far point to exactly these motives behind the attack," and that the evidence "does not indicate that other people were involved," though checks continue. Prosecutors are preparing six murder charges for the Krakow deaths, a number that could rise to nine if the suspect is held responsible for the three deaths at home, ABC reports.

The suspect is a 24-year-old man. Under Polish privacy practice he has been identified in the press only by initials, and we are not publishing a name. He was shot and wounded by police and has had several operations. ABC reports that prosecutors are waiting for doctors to say when he can be questioned, and that he has not been formally detained because of his condition. Notes from Poland reports that he held a firearms licence.

The motive: what is and is not established

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said preliminary findings indicate the man was influenced by "very radical far-right" views, per Notes from Poland and ABC. dpa describes officials saying he appeared fascinated by far-right ideology. Officials stress the exact motive has not been determined and the ideological link is still being checked. That is a preliminary ministerial assessment, not a finding from a court or an indictment, and we are treating it that way.

Casualties, and where the reports differ

Six people died in Krakow. Notes from Poland and dpa both report 16 injured; ABC says around a dozen wounded. Notes from Poland says 11 of the injured are Polish and the rest come from the UK, Portugal, Russia, Germany and Austria. ABC reports that one of the dead is a 32-year-old British man. Two police officers were seriously wounded confronting the attacker; one remained in critical condition on Sunday, and police appealed for blood donors of group AB Rh+.

Reports also differ on the details of the attack. dpa says the man drove onto the square and fired at passers-by, while Notes from Poland says he fired from his car. ABC does not describe the weapon. Notes from Poland says he appears to have used an AR-15-style rifle and that police found other firearms in his vehicle; we regard the weapon details as provisional until prosecutors confirm them.

The family deaths in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Saturday evening that three people had been found dead at the suspect's home. ABC reports police believe they are his parents and sister. Counterterrorism officers searched the apartment overnight over concerns about explosives, and the operation ended Sunday morning. Prosecutors say the evidence indicates one person committed the acts in both places.

Government response

Tusk declared two days of national mourning, and President Karol Nawrocki signed the decree, Notes from Poland reports. Flags are at half-mast. The Main Market Square was closed again on Sunday morning, and police had not said when it would reopen, per ABC. Notes from Poland describes gun crime in Poland as very rare, with one of Europe's lowest rates of gun ownership, and calls this the country's first mass shooting of its kind in a public place. Małopolska governor Krzysztof Klęczar praised the officers' intervention, saying the toll could have been much higher.

What it means for business and travel

The Main Market Square is the centre of Krakow's tourism trade, and its closure affects the cafes, restaurants, hotels and tour operators around it. We could not find any official figure for lost trade, cancellations or hotel occupancy, and no reliable report of a market reaction, so we make no such claim. Travellers with plans should check the Krakow city authorities and their own government's travel advice for restrictions and reopening dates; the UK, Austria, Germany, Portugal and Russia all have citizens among the injured. We will update when prosecutors publish charges, the suspect is questioned, or the square reopens.

Sources: Notes from Poland, ABC News, dpa via Yahoo. Statements are attributed to the officials who made them; no primary Polish release was available when we wrote. This is news reporting, not investment advice.