Krakow mass shooting suspect dies in hospital, police say

Gunman Dies in Hospital After Killing Six and Injuring 15 in Krakow Shooting

The 24-year-old gunman who killed six people and injured 15 others in central Krakow died in a hospital early Monday, Polish police announced. Named by local media as Michal Oksinski, or Michal O., the shooter passed away after undergoing surgeries for gunshot wounds sustained during a shootout with law enforcement.

The death closes the immediate path to a courtroom trial, yet government officials appeared to backtrack on Monday from earlier assertions regarding the attacker's motives. While officials previously stated the gunman may have been inspired by far-right ideology, nationalist opposition politicians questioned the grounds for that claim. Law & Justice party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski called the claims a blatant lie as nationalist opposition figures criticized the government's initial statements. Government spokesman Adam Szlapka told TVN24: Until the matter is fully clarified and the authorities are in possession of complete information, it is best to refrain from making comments, even if there are some initial indications. Przemysław Nowak, a spokesperson for Poland's National Prosecutor's Office, confirmed during a press briefing on Monday morning that investigations into his motive remain ongoing.

That political friction leaves prosecutors attempting to parse an unprecedented tragedy without a surviving defendant. Polish prosecutors said on Sunday that the mass shooting is being treated as an act constituting a terrorist offence. Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared that the country entered two days of national mourning, noting during a visit to Krakow: Until now in Poland we haven't had such drastic cases of terrorism...that's what we have to call this cruel attack on people's lives here in Krakow. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated he was shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting in Kraków, adding that The United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the people of Poland.

A Rampage Through the Historic Center and the Quick Response

The tragedy began on Saturday shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) when the suspect drove a car onto Krakow's Main Market Square, one of the country's busiest commerce and tourist destinations. Wearing tactical attire and carrying a military-style rifle, he opened fire on random pedestrians from his moving vehicle. Armed officers raced to the scene, engaging the suspect and shooting him within three minutes of the attack beginning. Footage on social media captured the terrifying moments as police confronted the shooter. One armed officer approached the suspect, who was lying on the ground with a rifle beside him, before the confrontation ended in an exchange of gunfire that left the attacker critically wounded.

Witnesses near the square described widespread panic. Ruby, from London, heard gunfire and yelled at my friends to run and we all sprinted for our lives, continuing until they found a hotel to shelter inside. Tom Brook, from West Yorkshire, was inside a McDonald's near the square when he heard multiple gunshots and saw people running for cover, later walking into the square to see paramedics working on someone outside a shop and a dead body covered in foil blankets 20 meters away.

Amid the chaos, two surgeons who were eating near the Main Market Square rushed in to treat victims because no ambulances or other professionals were immediately available. Professor Michal Pędziwiatr told the BBC: We saw the shooting attack. And what a surgeon can do in a situation like this?... We decided to help the victims as soon as possible. Pędziwiatr noted that his colleague, named by local media as Dr Mateusz Wierdak, used his hand to stem the bleeding from the most severely injured policeman, allowing time for an ambulance to arrive.

The human toll of the attack left six people dead, comprising four women and two men. Authorities identified four victims as Polish, alongside a British national and an Austrian woman. Malopolska regional governor Krzysztof Jan Klęczar detailed the casualties. Sixteen people, including five foreign nationals from Austria, Britain, Germany, Portugal, and Russia, two police officers, and the attacker, were taken to hospital. By Monday, 14 of the injured remained in hospital in a stable condition. The police officer who confronted the armed attacker suffered grave injuries alongside a second intervening officer, prompting local police to launch a blood appeal as he fights for his life. Both intervening officers emerged from comas by Sunday afternoon, though one remained in a serious condition.

Family Murders and Recovered Firearms

The violence extended beyond Krakow. Following the shooting, police discovered the bodies of three people with gunshot wounds — the suspect's 53-year-old father, 52-year-old mother, and 21-year-old sister — in an apartment in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Officials identified the victims after searching the gunman's house. Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek stated that the suspect faced murder charges for those killings as well.

Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that the suspect was not a soldier and had no links to the military. However, Polish media reported the suspect had a firearms permit and may have obtained the weapons from his family home. Prosecutors noted that both the shooter and his father held gun permits, with about 411,000 people holding gun permits in Poland across a population of 37 million. Justice Minister Zurek announced that the Polish government will review regulations on requirements for people with gun permits following the tragedy.

During searches, authorities found four firearms in the gunman's car, including two AR-15 rifles and two handguns, along with several hundred rounds of ammunition, according to Nowak. Authorities also seized at least four phones from his car and person, and electronic equipment from his home. Police spokesperson Katarzyna Cisło confirmed that authorities recovered a military-style backpack, magazines, and a bayonet in the boot of his car. An interior ministry spokeswoman noted on Monday that the perpetrator wore many different emblems on his clothing that have already been partially examined and interpreted.

The Investigation Ahead and Regulatory Review

Investigators are examining whether the family deaths are directly connected to the Krakow shooting. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime was analysing the attacker's online activity to see whether he belonged to radical groups. Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek told Radio Zet on Monday: Evidence is being collected, but I will not show or disclose it. I ask for restraint. Zurek reiterated that despite the death of the shooter, the investigation will continue without interruption to establish whether he acted alone or was inspired by any group.

Regional Governor Krzysztof Kleczar noted that the suspect's condition was critical from the beginning, having suffered severe trauma during the shootout. The Main Market Square reopened on Sunday evening after the security cordon was lifted, with mourners gathering to lay flowers and candles in honor of the victims.