Polish prosecutors say that they have not yet found any evidence that the gunman who killed six innocent people in Kraków in a shooting spree in the city’s historical square held extremist views associated with either side of the political spectrum.
Although Poland’s interior minister, Marcin Kierwiński, said on Saturday that the gunman was fascinated with far-right ideologies and held “ultra-nationalistic” views, today Polish prosecutors said it was too early to comment.
The gunman, named in multiple reports as Michał Oksiński (24), entered the square in a car and killed four women and two men by shooting randomly from the vehicle. He died in hospital this morning.
Polish police have opened a terrorism investigation, with justice minister, Waldemar Żurek, saying it would seek to establish if the gunman had acted alone or had been motivated by a group.
The attack has caused widespread shock in Poland. Sixteen people were also injured in the shooting, including two police officers.
At a press conference today, prosecutors said: “We do not have findings that we could, in a responsible way, categorically state that he was inspired by any particular ideology”.
“It is far too early to comment on the motives … We have not found any obvious symbols that are generally associated with a particular political movement, whether far right or far left,” the national prosecutor’s office spokesperson, Przemysław Nowak said, according to the Daily Mail.
And government spokesman Adam Szlapka told Polish channel TVN24: ‘Until the matter is fully clarified and the authorities are in possession of complete information, it is best to refrain from making comments, even if there are some initial indications”.
Oksiński is also believed to have murdered his parents, both in their 50s, and his 20-year-old sister – with police finding all three family members in their beds with gunshot wounds to their heads.
Meanwhile, the Polish Embassy in Ireland has thanked members of the Dublin Civil Defence who rushed to help victims of the shooting in Kraków on Saturday afternoon.
Six of the organisation’s volunteers were visiting the Polish city from Dublin and were present when the attack happened in the historic Market Square.
“Thank you, members of the Dublin Civil Defense, for rushing to help victims of the attack in Kraków. Dear Irish friends, we are grateful for your courage, responsibility, and compassion,” the Embassy posted today on X.
Civil Defence Officer James McConnell told RTÉ News yesterday that its volunteers, who are trained to provide medical care, provided “CPR and haemorrhage control” to injured people after the shooting.
Dublin Civil Defence posted appreciation for its volunteers on its own page, saying: “Well done to our Central AFS Unit for providing medical care in Krakow this afternoon. We are very proud of them all. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their families.”
In response, scores of Polish people also expressed their thanks and sent good wishes.
“As [a] Polish citizen living in Kraków I wish to express my gratitude to your members for providing such swift response to all injured people under those extreme circumstances. Members of Dublin Civil Defense will always be welcome in our city,” said one woman.
“A huge thank you from Poland. You are amazing,” said another response.
“As a Polish woman living in Ireland for more than 20 years I want say huge thank you and respect for your people. Go raibh maith agat,” added another comment, while another pointed to the courage and compassion of the volunteers:
“As a Pole, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the wonderful Dublin Civil Defence volunteers who rushed to help in the aftermath of the shooting in Kraków. In moments of tragedy, it is people like that who remind us what humanity, courage and compassion truly mean. Your instinct to step forward when others needed help deserves the deepest respect and gratitude. 🇨🇮❤️🇵🇱 Go raibh míle maith agaibh ó chroí!”.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee, said it was “extraordinary” the way in which the values and the work that the DCD “engage in at home went straight into action in Kraków”.
“They were there to support very vulnerable people who had been involved in that attack and to assist them. And so, obviously, I just want to thank them publicly,” she said.
“[I’m] very glad that they’re okay and they’re safe, but [I’m] very conscious that there were a lot of innocent civilians caught up in this, and [it’s] obviously a very scary scenario for everybody.”