A gunman opened fire from a vehicle in Kraków’s Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) on Saturday afternoon, killing five people and wounding more than a dozen others in one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations. Police said the attacker, a Polish citizen acting alone, fired “at random” at passers-by before being shot and detained by officers nearby.

The attack began around 3 p.m. local time when a man driving a black Subaru (reportedly without visible plates) entered the square from Sławkowska Street and began shooting from the vehicle with a long military-style firearm. He was dressed in military-style attire. Witnesses described panic as people fled into nearby cafés, shops, and restaurants while gunshots rang out in the normally busy historic square, lined with cafés, bars, and medieval architecture near St. Mary’s Basilica. An air ambulance helicopter landed in the square as emergency services responded.

Police officers were among the wounded. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said one officer was in “very critical condition” with three gunshot wounds and was undergoing surgery; a second officer was also shot. Officers returned fire during the confrontation, wounding the gunman near the junction of Dietla and Stradomska streets. He was taken to hospital under armed guard. A large quantity of additional weapons and ammunition was found in the car. The attacker also fired on a tram near All Saints’ Square, shattering a window, though no one on the tram was reported injured.

Authorities confirmed there was only one perpetrator—a Polish national—and refuted earlier reports of a second suspect or the death of a police officer. No motive has been announced. Mass shootings are rare in Poland, which has relatively strict firearms rules.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he was being kept informed by the interior minister and that police were “investigating the background and all the circumstances of the attack.” He later praised the “heroic police officers who risked their lives” to stop the shooter and urged that the tragedy not be politically exploited. President Karol Nawrocki expressed deep concern and said his thoughts were with the victims, the injured, and their families. The interior minister and other officials were heading to the scene; Tusk was also reported en route to Kraków. The square and surrounding streets were cordoned off as the investigation continued.

U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose posted on X over the event.

"America stands with Poland at this dark hour as Poland stands with her beloved citizens of Krakow," Rose wrote. "May the blessed memory of those lost today assuage the grief of those who mourn.”

The U.S. State Department issued a security alert advising citizens to avoid the area. Condolences also came from other international figures, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Casualty figures were still being finalized as of Saturday evening, with some local reports citing six dead and around 15 injured. Emergency services remained on scene, and hospitals in Kraków were treating the wounded. The attack disrupted a Saturday afternoon in the heart of Poland’s second-largest city and left the nation in shock.