Burnham said he was shocked and saddened by Saturday’s attack in the city’s Main Market Square, where a gunman opened fire on civilians before being wounded and detained by police. The British victim was among four women and two men killed, according to Poland’s police leadership.
“My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives, everyone injured and all those affected by this senseless violence,” Burnham said in a statement posted on Saturday. “The United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the people of Poland.”
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband separately offered condolences to the victims’ families, saying the British government mourned the loss of its citizen and the other people killed. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advised British nationals in Krakow to follow instructions from local authorities and monitor official safety information.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened a security briefing as investigators examined the attacker’s movements, weapons and possible motives. Police commander-in-chief Marek Boron said three of those killed were Polish citizens, one was British and the nationalities of two others had not yet been established at the time of his briefing.
Authorities initially described 16 injured people, including two police officers and the suspected attacker. Subsequent casualty accounts varied as hospitals and investigators updated their information. The condition of one wounded officer was described as serious, while the suspect was taken to hospital following an exchange of gunfire with responding police.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said preliminary findings suggested that the suspect held radical views and was fascinated by far-right ideology. Investigators had not established a definitive motive, however, and officials cautioned against drawing conclusions before forensic examinations and witness interviews were completed.
The attacker, identified by authorities as a Polish man in his twenties, reportedly wore military-style clothing and used a rifle. Police said he moved between positions around the square while firing. Officers confronted him within minutes of receiving the first emergency alerts, bringing the shooting to an end.
Tusk said three additional bodies had been discovered at a property associated with the suspect in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, away from Krakow. He indicated that the dead were believed to be members of the man’s family, although investigators were still working to establish the circumstances of their deaths and any connection with the shooting in the city centre.
Polish security services joined police inquiries at the property and at the attack scene. Officials were examining whether more firearms were stored at the residence and whether anyone else had assisted the gunman. Authorities urged the public not to circulate unverified claims about the suspect or the victims while identification procedures continued.
President Karol Nawrocki announced national mourning for Sunday and Monday. The decision followed expressions of grief from senior Polish officials and calls for a full explanation of how the attack occurred in one of the country’s busiest public spaces.
Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz described the shooting as an act of terror, while investigators continued to assess its legal classification. The minister said the attack had targeted people going about their ordinary activities. Officials also indicated that the suspect’s military-style appearance did not establish any connection with Poland’s armed forces.
Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheal Martin joined the international response, offering sympathy to victims, families and emergency workers. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also expressed support for Poland, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the killings.
The identities of several victims remained subject to formal confirmation, and officials were coordinating with foreign authorities over affected nationals. Police maintained a cordon while specialist teams collected evidence from the square.
The shooting took place on Saturday afternoon in Krakow’s historic central square, a heavily visited area containing shops, restaurants and tourist attractions. Emergency personnel treated casualties as police sealed off surrounding streets and secured the scene for investigators.
Polish officials said the response involved officers who came under fire while attempting to stop the attacker. Tusk publicly praised the bravery of two wounded policemen, Jakub Kulik and Artur Moranski, saying their intervention may have prevented further deaths. Both were receiving medical care following the confrontation.
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