The attack, which occurred on Saturday in the historic main square of the city, has shocked a country that has long considered itself safer than many of its neighbors in Western Europe, adding to a sense of unease that has built up due to a series of stabbing incidents in schools in October, which authorities said were influenced by extremist content online.
Authorities reported that 17 people, including two police officers and the gunman, were injured in the attack. Police and a local official stated that authorities later found the bodies of the shooter’s parents (24 years old) and his sister in their home, while he remained in critical condition in the hospital.
Closure of Streets in Krakow, the main market square in the old city and surrounding streets remained closed, with police allowing only essential workers to pass.
Nearby cafes closed their doors, and flags were lowered at the town hall. Residents placed candles at several locations in the area. The police in the capital, Warsaw, announced the strengthening of security measures in crowded tourist areas.
While expressing their shock at the attack, officials and members of the public praised the actions of the police officers who apprehended the gunman after a close-range exchange of gunfire.
Two police officers were injured during the events, and the police issued an urgent call for blood donations for one of them, stating he is “fighting for his life in the hospital.” Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on X that the two police officers are “true heroes... who likely saved many lives, disregarding the risks to their own lives.”
A gunman believed to have been inspired by far-right ideology has killed six people and injured more than a dozen others in an attack in the busy centre of Poland's second largest city.
Police said the attacker drove on to Main Market Square in Krakow, a popular tourist attraction, on Saturday afternoon and fired randomly at people.
Four women and two men were killed. Three were Polish, one was British and two have not been identified.
Among the 17 injured are five foreign nationals from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Britain
Another three bodies were found when counter-terrorism police searched the suspect's home around 125 miles (200km) away, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
A massive armed police presence was deployed across Krakow on Saturday evening, as security measures were ramped up in the capital Warsaw and elsewhere.
A period of mourning has been declared in Krakow until 11 November.
Two police officers are also among those injured, one critically.
The suspect, who was equipped with military-style weapons and attire, is a 25-year-old Polish man - described by a minister as "ultra-nationalist".
Police shot and arrested him and he remains in hospital having undergone surgery.
Tusk said there were "strong indications" the two women and one man found dead at the suspect's home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski were his immediate family members.
He said: "Until now in Poland we haven't had such drastic cases of terrorism... that's what we have to call this cruel attack on people's lives here in Krakow."
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: "I'm shocked and saddened by the appalling shooting in Kraków today."
"My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives, everyone injured and all those affected by this senseless violence. The United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the people of Poland," he added.
The rampage began shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) in the historic centre of Krakow, an ornate square which has long been a draw for tourists.
Footage showed the attacker's vehicle speeding through the centre of the city, and people fleeing as the sound of gunfire rang out.
The glass front of shops were shattered by bullets and a tram was shot at during the attack, which police say lasted for around three minutes.
Images from the scene show overturned tables and scattered belongings left behind as people ran for their lives.
Armed police officers pursued the attacker's car until it crashed, at which point they engaged him in a firefight.
Distressing footage authenticated by BBC Verify captured the moment a police officer confronted the suspect as he lay on the ground.
The officer, who is visibly injured, can then be seen falling to the ground.A Polish minister later said one police officer was fighting for his life and a second was expected to recover from a less serious injury.
Tusk later named them as Senior Constable Jakub Kulik and Senior Constable Artur Morański - he said they had "saved many lives" and called them "true heroes".