Who was the Kraków gunman? Investigators still search for a motive

Three members of his own family, then strangers in one of Poland's most famous squares. Investigators in Poland are trying to understand what drove Michal O., the young man behind the shooting in Kraków.

What happened?

According to reports, Michal O. first killed his mother, father and sister. Then he went out and fired at people in Kraków.

Six people died in the shooting on the city's Main Square. The attacker was seriously hurt, taken to hospital and later died there. That means he can no longer be questioned, which makes the work of investigators harder.

Why is the motive still unclear?

That is the question everyone keeps asking. Police and prosecutors are still working, and so far the motive has not been explained. Investigators are speaking to people who knew the man and to experts, hoping to piece together a picture of him.

We will not guess here. What is clear is the scale of the crime, and that it has shaken the country.

How is Poland reacting?

Tens of thousands of people joined a silent march in Kraków to remember the victims. Earlier, Poles donated more than €1 million within hours for the officers who stopped the gunman.

The city has also said it will not cancel its Christmas market. Meanwhile, the attack has fed a wider debate about whether Poland can still call itself a very safe country. The political fight between Donald Tusk's centre-left camp and the right-wing opposition continues in the background.

What's next?

The investigation goes on. Prosecutors still have to establish why a young man would kill his own family and then turn on strangers, and whether anything pointed to it beforehand. Until they say more, that question stays open.