Briton among six killed by 'far-right' gunman in Krakow rampage

A 32-year-old British man is among the six people killed in a mass shooting in Krakow, and another was wounded, Polish officials have said.

Krzysztof Jan Klęczar, regional governor of Lesser Poland, said the dead included three Polish women aged 47, 53 and 61, a 32-year-old British man, and a woman of 51 who is not a Polish citizen.

He said the sixth victim was a man, approximately 50 years old and a Polish citizen.

The shooting happened in the city's historic Main Square - a popular destination with foreign tourists - at around 3pm local time on Saturday.

The 24-year-old gunman, who was in military-style clothing and wore a bulletproof vest as he shot people at random from a black car.

Interior minister Marcin Kierwinski said the attacker held "very radical views" and "was fascinated by far-right ideologies".

The bodies of another two women and a man were found at the alleged attacker's home, about 100 miles (160km) northeast of Krakow.

Polish police confirmed on Sunday morning that they were his parents and 21-year-old sister and had likely died from gunshot wounds.

Video filmed in Krakow showed a police officer appearing to shoot the attacker six times from close range, before himself slowly collapsing.

Other footage showed blood on the floor and bystanders trying to resuscitate two victims. A third person appeared motionless nearby.

The suspect was described as "stable but very critical" after the attack.

Police officers' self-sacrifice

Mr Klęczar praised the "swift and self-sacrificing" actions of two police officers who were injured while stopping the attacker.

But for them, "the number of casualties could have been significantly higher," he said, after they "confronted a criminal armed with an automatic weapon - paying a high price in the process - and saved the lives of many citizens".

The pair remain in serious condition in two separate hospitals in Kraków.

"One of them has been brought out of a medically-induced coma, while the other remains in a coma and is under the care of doctors," the governor said.

Local police are appealing for blood donations for officer Jakub Kulik, who is fighting for his life in hospital, with his condition described as critical but stable after surgery.

Briton among the injured

Krzysztof Jan Klęczar said, of the 16 people wounded and in hospital, 11 are Polish citizens and the other five foreign nationals, including a Briton.

He said one is in a critical condition and another in a serious condition, while the condition of the other 14 has stabilised.

The attacker had "several" surgeries overnight.

The other injured foreigners are from Austria, Germany, Portugal and Russia.

Krzysztof Jan Klęczar said investigations - including of the suspect's home - have revealed that "his father legally owned over a dozen firearms. He himself was also a gun owner.

The man is yet to been named but Polish interior minister Marcin Kierwinski said it's believed he was influenced by far-right ideology and has "ultra-nationalistic" views.

"The police prevented a ⁠much larger massacre that could have otherwise occurred. They fired shots at the attacker just three minutes after ​receiving the report," the minister said.

Burnham's tribute

Prime Minister Andy Burnham paid tribute to the victims of the attack.

Mr Burnham said: "I'm shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting in Krakow today.

"My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives, everyone injured and all those affected by this senseless violence. The United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the people of Poland."

The FCDO said it is "supporting the bereaved family, and the family of another victim who has been injured".

It is advising British nationals in Krakow to "follow the advice of local authorities and monitor local media".

Attack 'appalling' - Miliband

In a statement, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said: "The UK government deeply mourns the British national and other victims who have died after the appalling attack in Krakow.

"All of my deepest condolences go to the families of the victims."

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting called it an "unspeakable tragedy".

Police said more weapons and ammunition were found in the gunman's car, in Krakow.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that at the gunman's home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzysk, authorities suspected "a significant amount of weaponry" might be inside and a drone was used to look inside the property.

Local media said residents were evacuated during a search by counter-terror police.

Police spokesperson Andrzej Fijolek told broadcaster TVN 24 the attacker used an AR-15 rifle in the Krakow attack and that he owned a firearms licence.

Poland began two days of national mourning on Sunday.

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Mass shootings are uncommon in Poland and the number of gun licences is low compared with some of its neighbours - around 411,000 among 37 million people.

However, the country did suffer a spate of stabbing attacks in schools in the Mazovia province last month, leaving one dead and many wounded.

Authorities said the incidents were influenced by violent and extremist online content.

(c) Sky News 2026: Briton among six killed by 'far-right' gunman in Krakow rampage