A young shooter, responsible for the deaths of six individuals in central Krakow on Saturday during Poland’s historic mass shooting, has succumbed to his injuries in a hospital, according to police reports early on Monday.
Details regarding the assailant remain scarce, as he was apprehended by law enforcement just moments after he began firing at civilians from his vehicle in Krakow’s iconic main square.
Authorities previously indicated that he was in a critical state and had undergone multiple surgical procedures.
Prosecutors have identified the shooter as Michal Oksinski, a 24-year-old hailing from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski in southeastern Poland, suggesting he may have been influenced by far-right beliefs, although they did not elaborate further.
The nationalist opposition challenged this assertion, with Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the Law and Justice party, labeling the claims as a “blatant lie.”
During a press briefing on Monday, Przemyslaw Nowak, spokesperson for the National Prosecutor’s Office, stated that investigators had not yet determined the motive behind the attack.
He mentioned that a yellow flag featuring a snake and the words “Don’t tread on me,” recognized as the Gadsden flag, was discovered in the shooter’s room.
Poland commenced two days of national mourning after a 24-year-old man with far-right views drove into a crowded central square in Krakow and opened fire, resulting in at least six fatalities before police shot and injured him.
Originally utilized during the American Revolution in the 18th century, the Gadsden flag was noted by Nowak to carry “various meanings related to freedom or rebellion,” yet is not broadly recognized as associated with extremism.
On Monday, government representatives seemed to retract their earlier assertions regarding a far-right motivation.
“Until the situation is completely clarified and authorities have gathered all necessary information, it is prudent to avoid making statements, even if there are some initial signs,” government spokesperson Adam Szlapka informed TVN24.
Polish President Donald Tusk and Prime Minister Karol Nawrocki, typically political adversaries, planned to participate in a silent march through Krakow on Monday evening.
Several still hospitalized
Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek stated on Monday that the investigation will persist despite the shooter’s death, focusing on whether he acted independently or was motivated by any group.
“Evidence is being gathered, but I will not reveal or disclose it. I urge caution,” Zurek told Radio Zet.
Following the tragedy, the government will review regulations governing gun permit qualifications, Zurek indicated.
Both the shooter and his now-deceased father possessed gun permits, and several firearms were recovered from the family residence as well as the assailant’s vehicle, according to prosecutors.
Debris and shattered glass from an outdoor restaurant garden affected by the mass shooting are displayed on Sunday. (Omar Marques/Getty Images)
An Interior Ministry spokesperson mentioned earlier on Monday that the shooter had numerous different emblems on his clothing that had already been partially examined and interpreted.
Four women and two men lost their lives in the assault in Krakow’s Old Town, Poland’s second-largest city.
According to Krzysztof Jan Klęczar, the Malopolska regional governor, three of the deceased women and one man were Polish nationals, while a man from the United Kingdom and a woman from Austria were also among the fatalities.
This incident marks Poland’s first experience with such a mass shooting, shocking a nation that has long considered itself safer than its western European neighbors, which have faced similar attacks in the past.
Fifteen individuals injured during the attack remain hospitalized, with the condition of 14 being stable, while a police officer involved in apprehending the shooter is reported to be in serious condition, according to Kleczar’s statements to reporters.
Among the wounded are individuals from Britain, Portugal, Russia, Germany, and Austria, officials have reported.
Prior to arriving at the square, Oksinski is suspected of having murdered his father, mother, and sister at their family home on Saturday.
