By Xinhua writers Yue Yuanyuan, Guo Shunag
WARSAW, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Gunfire shattered a Saturday afternoon in Krakow's historic market square, leaving a country where mass shootings are rare confronting an unfamiliar fear.
As Poland began two days of national mourning on Sunday, prosecutors opened an investigation, treating the shooting as a terrorist offense, which left six people dead and 16 injured.
Coming barely a month after three school stabbings in four days, the attack has deepened concerns about young people turning to extreme violence. Although no link between the cases has been established, Poland faces a broader challenge: how to prevent further attacks and restore a shaken sense of security.
A RARE ATTACK, A WIDER SHOCK
The gunman in the Saturday afternoon mass shooting was identified by police as a 24-year-old Polish citizen, who held a firearms licence and had no previous criminal record. He was wounded in an exchange of fire with police officers.
The National Prosecutor's Office said the suspect was believed to have killed six people and attempted to kill others, including police officers, in the market square. He was also suspected of killing three members of his family at their home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski.
The three victims found dead at the family home were identified as the parents and sister.
The shooting has shocked a country with a comparatively strong record on several measures of public safety. According to an earlier estimate by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, Poland has 2.5 civilian-held firearms per 100 people, the lowest rate in the European Union.
Separately, an analysis of Eurostat's 2023 survey data by the Poland News found that 2.8 percent of people in Poland reported crime, violence or vandalism in their neighborhoods, the third-lowest proportion in the bloc.
These figures help explain the public shock. The contrast between Poland's reputation for relative safety and the devastating consequences of the attack has raised questions about how to prevent such incidents.
YOUTH RADICALIZATION RAISES CONCERN
The Krakow shooting has brought renewed attention to radicalization among young people, as the suspects in three school stabbings in October that left one person dead and several wounded were 15, 19 and 21, respectively.
Although no link between the cases has been established, official statements have drawn attention to the possible influence of online violent content and extremist ideas.
After the school attacks, Prime Minister Donald Tusk pointed to the glorification of violence online and warned of imitation. Authorities also reported increased interest in Nazi material and mass killers who had acquired an online following.
One 15-year-old suspect had worn a helmet-mounted camera and intended to film his attack, Tusk said.
In the Krakow case, investigators are examining a possible ideological motive. Polish Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration Marcin Kierwinski said preliminary information suggested the suspect held highly radical views and may have been fascinated by far-right ideologies.
What influenced the Krakow suspect remained under investigation, while the broader concern is how an attraction to extremist ideas or the glorification of violence can develop into a motive to kill and whether that process can be identified and interrupted.
PREVENTION BEYOND EMERGENCY POLICING
Beyond these young suspects' motives, a more important question is how to prevent such an attack.
In Krakow, the gunman's possession of a firearms licence has made access to weapons part of that inquiry.
According to the Polish Press Agency, investigators recovered seven firearms from the suspect's family home, bringing the total seized there and in Krakow to 11. Prosecutors said the suspect and his father were authorized to possess two and nine firearms, respectively, but further examination was needed to determine whether the recovered weapons corresponded to those authorizations.
The investigation comes amid expanding legal gun ownership. Registered civilian firearms exceeded one million at the end of 2025, while 50,709 new licences were issued that year, according to police statistics.
In findings published in July, Poland's Supreme Audit Office identified gaps in firearms supervision, including the absence of periodic medical and psychological checks for some categories of permit holders and weaknesses in registration data. It recommended broader checks and continued monitoring of eligibility.
Meanwhile, local authorities are strengthening protection in public spaces. In Krakow, Mayor Lukasz Gibala announced plans to install retractable bollards to restrict vehicle access to the city center and to fund additional police patrols.
Other cities also took action. Warsaw increased patrols and installed concrete barriers near Krakowskie Przedmiescie, while Gdansk deployed additional officers in its city center. Wroclaw and Lublin also announced plans to strengthen security.
For the authorities, the longer-term task is to identify credible threats before an armed attacker acts, while ensuring that firearms oversight remains effective after a licence is issued.
By Sunday evening, Krakow's Main Market Square had reopened after investigators completed their examination of the scene. Residents and tourists could return, but the public may need more time to restore the sense of security. ■