Gunman who killed six people in Kraków dies in hospital. Photos of him holding a rainbow flag have been published
Michał Oksiński, the 24-year-old who opened fire in the centre of the Polish city of Kraków, died in hospital early on 9 November 2026. Kraków City Hall announced the death, citing police in the Małopolska region. Oksiński had been in critical condition after police officers shot him.
Translation of the police statement. “We report that the perpetrator of the tragic events died in hospital early this morning.”
On 7 November, Oksiński drove into the Main Market Square and opened fire on passers-by with an AR-15-style carbine. Six people were killed. According to The Associated Press, 15 people were wounded, including the two police officers who stopped the gunman. Prosecutors are investigating the attack as a terrorist offence.
Police found the bodies of Oksiński’s parents and sister at the family home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Preliminary findings indicate that they died of gunshot wounds. Notes from Poland reports that evidence gathered by prosecutors points to the same person having committed the killings in both cities.
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the gunman may have been drawn to far-right ideas and that investigators would examine that possibility. Polish Member of the European Parliament Izabela Kloc called him a left-wing activist and published photos with a rainbow flag that she attributed to Oksiński. Investigators are working to establish the motive for the attack.
