Authorities are investigating the attack as terrorism and examining evidence that the gunman was influenced by far-right ideology

THUNDER BAY – INTERNATIONAL NEWS SERVICE — Poland has started two days of national mourning Sunday after a gunman killed six people and wounded 16 others in Krakow’s historic Main Market Square.

The wounded include two police officers and the suspected attacker, a 24-year-old Polish man who remained in critical condition. Four Polish citizens, a British man and an Austrian woman were killed, according to regional authorities. Fourteen hospitalized patients were stable Sunday, while one police officer remained in serious condition. Małopolska regional authorities said both wounded officers had regained consciousness.

The shooting began shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday. Poland’s national police chief said the first patrol reached the square within three minutes and exchanged fire with the attacker. Thirty police units were deployed.

Officials said preliminary evidence indicates that the gunman held far-right or ultranationalist views. Prosecutors are treating the shooting as a suspected terrorist act, but the motive remains under investigation. Poland’s Foreign Ministry has urged the public to avoid speculation and disinformation while investigators establish the facts.

Police later found the bodies of the suspect’s parents and sister at a home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. All three had gunshot wounds. Prosecutors said it was highly likely that the deaths and the Krakow attack were connected, although that conclusion has not been finalized. Seven firearms and a large quantity of ammunition were recovered from the property, Reuters reported.

The attack struck one of Poland’s most recognizable public spaces, a UNESCO-listed destination visited by millions of residents and tourists. Several foreign nationals were among the wounded.

President Karol Nawrocki ordered flags lowered for national mourning on Nov. 8 and 9. The decree described the shooting as an unprecedented act of terror. Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the officers who confronted the attacker, saying their response likely prevented further deaths.