Kraków gunman dies in hospital after deadly shooting, police say

Kraków gunman dies in hospital after deadly shooting, police say
Police officers cordon off an area near the Main Market Square following a mass shooting, in Kraków, Poland, 8 November 2026.
Reuters

The gunman who killed six people in Poland’s unprecedented mass shooting in central Kraków on Saturday has died in hospital, police said early on Monday. The attacker had demonstrated advanced military-style marksmanship skills, according to a spokesperson for the shooting club he attended.

Adam Chyb, a member of the Swit Starachowice shooting club, said the gunman had demonstrated an unusual level of accuracy.

“I wouldn't know how to shoot like that,” Chyb, 55, told Reuters on Sunday.

The club is based in Starachowice, about 175 kilometres north-east of Kraków. The suspect reportedly joined in 2022 and visited the range only a handful of times. He attended twice this year, always accompanied by his father, who was a long-standing member.

A view of the shooting range of the Swit Starachowice sports club, where the Kraków shooter was a member, Starachowice, Poland, 8 November 2026.
Reuters

“He was never seen at the range wearing any kind of uniform or carrying military-style gear,” Chyb added.

Family members also found dead

The shooting took place on Saturday, 7 November, leaving six people dead in what has been described as Poland’s first mass shooting of its kind.

The bodies of the shooter's father, mother and sister were also discovered at the family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, a town of nearly 60,000 people in southeastern Poland. Officials believe they were also killed by the shooter.

Authorities have not officially identified the 24-year-old nor provided a detailed account of his possible motives.

Far-right ideology under scrutiny

The Polish government has suggested the attacker may have been influenced by far-right ideology. However, nationalist opposition politicians have challenged the claim, and officials have yet to release further evidence.

Reuters
Faithful attend a Mass for the victims of the Saturday shooting, at St. Anne's Church in Kraków, Poland, 8 November 2026.
Reuters

The case has prompted widespread shock in Poland, where mass shootings are rare and many people have traditionally considered the country safer than parts of western Europe.

Questions over gun ownership

Authorities said the suspect and his family held licences for a total of 11 firearms.

Gun ownership remains relatively low in Poland compared with several other European countries. However, interest in firearms has increased since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The investigation is continuing, as the country observes two days of national mourning on Sunday and Monday. Officials are seeking to establish the circumstances surrounding the killings, the suspect’s motives and how he acquired his apparent shooting skills.

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