Ipswich tourist recounts taking shelter during reported Krakow shooting
Original report:
An Ipswich visitor described sheltering with his partner in a crowded Krakow church during a shooting that the BBC reported killed six people. His account focused on uncertainty over the gunman's location and fears that those inside could be targeted.
In a report published on 9 November 2026, the BBC said six people, including a British national, had been killed in a shooting in central Krakow the preceding Saturday. Jonathan Balshaw, from Ipswich, was visiting with his partner for his 30th birthday when they heard gunfire and sought shelter in St Mary's Basilica.
Balshaw told BBC Radio Suffolk that a staff member admitted them through a side entrance. He described fearing the crowded church could become a target. After leaving, the couple saw paramedics attempting to resuscitate a man. The BBC reported that a 25-year-old suspect had been arrested and was in hospital following surgery for a gunshot wound.
Balshaw's account highlights the uncertainty experienced by visitors seeking refuge, rather than establishing the attacker's intentions. He contacted relatives early because he remembered worrying about his father during London's 7 July attacks. The report also cited BBC-verified footage showing an officer confronting the suspect, firing and then apparently collapsing injured.
Source
bbc.com — 9 November 2026
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