In brief
Investigators in Krakow found two AR‑15 rifles and two pistols, along with roughly 500 rounds of ammunition, in the hands of a gunman who fired indiscriminately at Main Market Square on Saturday. The attack killed six people and injured 16, including two police officers. The gunman was shot by police, taken to hospital, and died the following Monday.
Polish investigators announced on Saturday that four firearms – two AR‑15 rifles and two pistols – and about 500 rounds of ammunition were found on a gunman and in his car during the Krakow shooting that resulted in six deaths and 16 injuries.
The National Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Przemyslaw Nowak said the weapons and ammunition could have been used for further firing. He also noted the discovery of a large number of spent cartridge cases and that investigators suspect at least dozens, possibly hundreds, of shots were discharged during the incident.
The gunman reportedly drove into Krakow’s Main Market Square on Saturday afternoon, fired indiscriminately at random passersby, and was shot by police before being detained. Authorities confirmed that six people were killed and 16 others wounded, among them two police officers and the gunman.
Investigation details
According to Xinhua, the ammunition recovered on the gunman and in his vehicle included rounds for the four firearms that were found. The exact tally of shots fired remains to be determined after prosecutors and police examine the material collected over the weekend.
BBC News added that the gunman was shot and transported to the hospital, where he died on Monday morning. The BBC also reported that the incident prompted an extended police presence in the city and that initial investigations are focusing on the source of the weapons.
ABC News reported that police found four firearms at the scene of the attack and seven additional weapons seized from the gunman’s family home, taking the total recovered to eleven. The ABC report highlighted that the family home was cleared by authorities as part of the broader search for evidence.
Local police announced on Saturday evening that the suspect was still alive following the police shooting, but he later succumbed to his injuries in hospital early Monday. The police have not yet released a motive for the attack, and a statement remains that the incident was not linked to any organized crime or extremist activity.
The question of how many rounds were actually fired remains open. While investigators recovered about 500 rounds of ammunition, they have not yet confirmed whether all were brought to bear on the victims. The ongoing analysis involves cataloguing the spent cartridge cases and matching them to the recovered ammunition to estimate the true firing count.
Polish officials have pledged a thorough review of police response procedures and weapon handling protocols following the incident, but specific reforms have not been announced as of this writing. The authorities also emphasized that the weapons recovered were not registered and that the case is now a priority for criminal investigation.
In summary, the incident that erupted in Krakow’s Main Market Square left six people dead and 16 injured. Four firearms and roughly 500 rounds of ammunition were seized from the gunman and his vehicle, although the exact number of shots fired is still unknown. The gunman, who was shot by police, died in a hospital the next Monday. The investigation continues as prosecutors and forensic experts work to piece together the full extent of the attack, with uncertainties around the shooting count, ammunition usage, and the gunman’s motive yet to be resolved.