Poland is in mourning following the deadly attack in Krakow, which left six people dead and more than a dozen injured. Authorities are seeking to establish the motives of the 25-year-old attacker, at whose home three further bodies – two women and a man – were discovered.

The gunman opened fire indiscriminately on members of the public in the city’s main square on Saturday afternoon (7 November).

The suspect was wounded by police gunfire and arrested just three minutes after the attack began, following an exchange of shots with officers. He remains in hospital after undergoing surgery.

How the attack unfolded in the main square

The incident began shortly before 3pm local time on Saturday, when the gunman drove into Krakow’s main square, Rynek Główny, one of Europe’s largest medieval public squares and a popular tourist destination.

According to police, the man began firing “indiscriminately at people from inside his car”, causing panic among residents and visitors.

Videos circulating on social media show people running for cover as repeated gunshots ring out.

A passing tram was also hit by the gunman’s bullets, shattering its windows, although none of the passengers was injured.

Damage, believed to have been caused by bullets, was visible to shop windows in the area, while broken glass was scattered across roads and pavements.

Police responded immediately, with armed officers arriving at the scene and exchanging gunfire with the 25-year-old.

Officials said the speed of the response prevented an even higher number of casualties.

Video captures gunman being shot and police officer hit three times

A video has attracted particular attention. Its authenticity was verified by the BBC Verify team, and it captures the dramatic moment of the police intervention.

The footage shows an officer approaching and confronting the suspect, who is on the ground, before firing several shots.

Immediately afterwards, the officer collapses, apparently having also been injured during the exchange of gunfire.

Two police officers were injured in the operation. One was shot three times while attempting to arrest the gunman and is in an extremely critical condition after undergoing surgery.

Meanwhile, the suspect also underwent surgery for a gunshot wound and remains in hospital under arrest.

Six dead, including a British national

The confirmed death toll from the shooting in the main square stands at six: four women and two men.

Three of the victims were Polish nationals and one was British, while the identities of two others had not been established at the time of the latest official updates.

A total of 16 people were taken to hospital. This figure includes five foreign nationals, two police officers and the suspect himself.

According to Poland’s Interior Ministry, the injured foreign nationals came from Austria, Britain, Germany, Portugal and Russia.

Authorities have so far withheld the names and ages of the remaining victims.

Grim discovery at the 25-year-old’s home

The investigation took a new turn when police, assisted by counter-terrorism units, searched the suspect’s home in the town of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, around 200 kilometres from Krakow.

Inside the house, three people were found dead: two women and a man. According to reports in Polish media, the three people discovered at the 25-year-old’s home are believed to have been his parents and sister.

The three bodies are a separate discovery from the six victims of the attack in the main square, bringing the total number of deaths linked to the case to nine.

Who is the attacker and what do we know about his motives?

The suspect is a 25-year-old Polish national whose name has not been officially released. According to a police spokesperson, he was wearing military-style clothing and was armed with a military-style firearm, although authorities clarified that he was not serving in the armed forces.

Further weapons and ammunition were found in his car, while Polish media report that he held a firearms licence and may have obtained some of his weapons from his family home.

Police believe he acted alone, while investigations into his motives and psychological state are continuing.

Last night, the area around the market square in the Old Town – a district highly valued by tourists and attracting large numbers of visitors every weekend – remained cordoned off and completely inaccessible.