A shooting at the main market square in central Kraków on Saturday afternoon left at least five people dead and several others wounded, according to Göteborgs-Posten. The attack took place at Rynek Główny, the large square at the heart of the city's old town.
A suspect was shot by police officers at the scene and taken to hospital, the newspaper reports. Police said the person they identified as the perpetrator was hit by officers' gunfire and is now receiving medical treatment.
Why it matters
Public shootings are rare in Poland, which has strict gun laws, and an attack on one of the country's most visited public spaces has drawn immediate attention from the national government. Göteborgs-Posten notes that firearms incidents in open public places are unusual in the country, making Saturday's events stand out.
The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs said in an email to the newspaper that it has no information suggesting any Swedish nationals were among the injured. The ministry added that it is monitoring developments closely and urged Swedes in the area to contact their relatives and to follow instructions from local authorities.
What witnesses and officials have said
Poland's state broadcaster TVP first reported the shooting, according to Göteborgs-Posten. A spokesperson for the city's emergency services told Polish media that the shots were probably fired from a vehicle passing through the market square.
The same spokesperson, speaking to the channel Polsat News, confirmed that there were fatalities and people wounded, and called on the public to take shelter in safe locations.
Poland's interior minister briefed the country's leadership on the situation, and the prime minister said he was being kept informed about events in Kraków following what he described as a tragic shooting. He added that police are investigating the background to the attack and all the circumstances surrounding it.
A Swedish woman named Anna described hiding in a bar as the shooting unfolded, telling Swedish media that everyone around her was terrified, according to Omni. Her account was carried alongside other Swedish outlets' coverage of the incident.
A crowded square on a Saturday
Rynek Główny is the largest square in Kraków's historic centre and one of the biggest medieval town squares in Europe. On a Saturday afternoon it would typically be busy with residents and tourists, which helps explain the number of casualties reported in the first hours after the shooting.
Göteborgs-Posten's initial report put the death toll at a minimum of two, while Dagens Nyheter later reported at least five dead. The figures were still being confirmed as authorities responded, and the newspaper's account reflects the information available at the time of publication. Details of the wounded, including how many people were hurt and how seriously, were not fully established in the early reporting.
The identity of the suspect and any possible motive had not been made public. Police said only that the person was shot by officers and transported to hospital, and that an investigation into the attack's background was under way.
Regional alarm and official response
The shooting prompted an emergency response in the city centre, with the local rescue service involved in treating casualties. The interior minister's involvement signals that the case is being handled at national level, and the prime minister's statement indicates that the government is treating the incident as a serious security matter.
For Swedish readers, the foreign ministry's statement offers the main practical guidance: no confirmed reports of injured Swedes, close monitoring of the situation, and advice for travellers to check in with family and follow local directives.
Poland's strict firearms rules mean shootings of this kind are uncommon, and the fact that the suspected attacker was engaged by police at the scene rather than arrested has shaped early coverage. Authorities have not said whether anyone else is being sought in connection with the attack.
What happens next will depend on the police investigation and on updates from Polish officials, including confirmation of the final death toll and further information about the suspect's condition and possible motive.