Michał Oksiński, a 24-year-old Polish national who carried out an unprecedented mass shooting in Kraków, died in hospital on Monday morning, November 9, 2026, after suffering critical wounds during a shootout with police.
Oksiński Drives Vehicle into Kraków's Main Market Square
The attack began shortly before 15:00 local time on Saturday, November 7, 2026, when Oksiński drove a vehicle at high speed into Kraków’s historic Main Market Square. Wearing full military tactical gear and a bulletproof vest, he opened random fire from his car using a military-grade weapon. The rampage lasted for approximately three minutes, shattering shop windows and striking a tram before officers intervened.
Police returned fire and wounded the attacker within three minutes of the initial report. Prosecutors later confirmed that four firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition were recovered from the vehicle and the suspect’s possession, while a total of eleven weapons were ultimately linked to him across locations. The shooting killed six people—four women and two men—including a British man and 53-year-old painter Izabela Woźna.
📌Premier przekazał, że policja, służby specjalne, prokuratura zrobią wszystko, żeby jak najszybciej przekazać informacje opinii publicznej o powodach (strzelaniny – PAP) – powiedział w sobotę na briefingu premier Donald Tusk. 📌- Prawdopodobnie w domu zamachowca są nieżywi… pic.twitter.com/gnV7c1TALa
— Post by @PAPinformacje on X
Surgeons and Bystanders Step in During Chaos
With emergency services overwhelmed, two surgeons who happened to be eating lunch near the square rushed to the scene to treat the wounded before ambulances arrived. One of the medics, Michał Pędziwiatr, later praised his colleague Mateusz Wierdak for treating a gravely injured police officer who had helped subdue the gunman.
Without protection, without gloves, he simply focused on the officer, stopping the bleeding in his chest. This probably saved his life.
Michał Pędziwiatr, Kraków surgeon via Onet
Fifteen other people sustained injuries during the attack. By Sunday, November 8, 2026, two police officers involved in subduing the perpetrator emerged from medically induced comas. The mayor of Kraków submitted an urgent request to award the officers injured while stopping the attacker honorary citizenship of the city. As tourists and residents fled the terror, ordinary acts of shelter unfolded across the district; one British resident, Neil Thaxton, recalled how he and his wife mistook the initial gunfire for fireworks before staff at a local gift shop pulled them inside, locked the doors, and extinguished the lights.
🔴Strzelanina w Krakowie. Jest nagranie z momentu zatrzymania zamachowca pic.twitter.com/2EXVvLEoRY
— Post by @wirtualnapolska on X
Alexandros Maronitis, a tourist visiting from Greece, told journalists that he remained barred from returning to his lodgings for five hours while authorities secured the perimeter.
On the night following the rampage, St. Mary’s Basilica interrupted its hourly trumpet call for the first time since World War II, paying silent tribute as international leaders conveyed condolences. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband expressed deep mourning for the British national and other victims lost in the violence.
Family Tragedy Discovered in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski
While investigators examined the Kraków attack, police responding to Oksiński’s family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, located about 90 miles northeast of Kraków, discovered the bodies of his mother, father, and 21-year-old sister, Magdalena Oksińska. Authorities stated that the three relatives likely died from gunshot wounds inflicted before the Kraków rampage.
Political Dispute Over Extremist Motives
In the immediate aftermath of the violence, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński stated that the assailant held very radical, ultranationalistic views and was fascinated by far-right ideologies. Nationalist opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski dismissed the government’s assertions as a blatant lie.
We are just learning details of the horrific mass shooting in Kraków, a savage and murderous attack that’s shattered the peace of Poland. What we know so far is that several innocent precious lives were viciously cut down on a Saturday afternoon in Kraków’s historic and iconic…
— Post by @USAmbPoland on X
Government officials later urged caution regarding premature conclusions. Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek called for restraint while confirming that a terrorism investigation led by prosecutors would continue despite the suspect’s death in hospital.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Karolina Gałecka noted that investigators were examining many different emblems found on the perpetrator’s clothing to clarify their meaning, while the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime detained five individuals for posting online content that glorified the suspect’s actions.
A shocking crime in Kraków. On behalf of the Ukrainian people, and personally, I extend my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. There can be no justification for this attack, and we trust the perpetrator will face justice. We wish strength and a…
— Post by @ZelenskyyUa on X
National Mourning and Gun Permit Reviews
Poland observed two national days of mourning on Sunday and Monday, with flags lowered to half-mast across the country and outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek announced that the government would review regulations on requirements for people holding gun permits following the tragedy. Both the shooter and his father held legal firearms licenses, and officials recovered multiple weapons from the family properties.
More on Michał Oksiński
The tragic shooting in Kraków, which has claimed lives and left several people injured, is deeply saddening. My heartfelt condolences go to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and I wish all those injured a speedy recovery. 😞@donaldtusk, Latvia stands in…
— Post by @AndrisKulbergs on X
The profound depth of Poland's shock at the horror of yesterday's appalling mass murder in Krakow is truly remarkable to behold. Violence on this scale isn't just unheard of here, it's unthinkable and utterly alien to the Polish national character. Poland is so extraordinarily…
— Post by @USAmbPoland on X