Polish Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek provided an update on Tuesday regarding the mass shooting that occurred in Krakow over the weekend, stating that the accused gunman showed a deep interest in international far-right movements.
Investigation Findings and Far-Right Ties
According to Deutsche Welle, Zurek stated that investigators accessed the computer of the suspect, Michal Oksinski, and found he visited websites related to Anders Breivik, the Norwegian neo-Nazi responsible for killing 77 people in July 2011.
A search of the suspect’s residence revealed a Gadsden flag, a banner originating from the US Revolutionary War that is currently linked to American white nationalists, as reported by Deutsche Welle. Law enforcement also collected evidence indicating Oksinski recently purchased ten magazines for a semi-automatic rifle along with 500 rounds of ammunition. Zurek remarked that it was evident the individual was preparing to take action.
Details of the Attacks and Suspect’s Death
On Friday night, the 24-year-old suspect allegedly shot and killed his mother, father, sister, and two family cats in the city of Ostrowiec. The following day at approximately 3:00 p.m. local time, Oksinski allegedly opened fire in Krakow’s Main Market Square, resulting in the deaths of six individuals comprising four Polish citizens, one Austrian, and one British national, while another 15 people sustained injuries.
Authorities subsequently found the bodies of his family members in Ostrowiec following the Krakow incident. Poland observed two days of national mourning in the wake of the tragedy. Oksinski passed away on Monday at a local hospital from injuries he sustained during his arrest.
Initial probes have revealed very solid evidence pointing toward far-right radicalization and psychiatric problems as the motives behind the attacks, according to Zurek. Meanwhile, members of the right-wing populist PiS party have accused Zurek and the centrist government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk of fabricating details regarding the suspect’s motives.
