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Thousands of people took part in a silent march through central Krakow on Monday night to remember those killed and injured in a shooting rampage over the weekend, according to the BBC.
Polish President and Prime Minister led the procession, making a rare joint appearance after what the BBC described as the country’s deadliest attack in modern times. At the historic Market Square, a bugler played from a tower as people carrying flowers and candles gathered at memorials marking the places where people died.
The attack has shaken Poland, a country proud of its reputation for safety, and left people trying to understand what happened.
Investigators examine gunman’s background
Local media identified the alleged gunman as 24-year-old Michal Oksinski. Critically injured in a shoot-out with police, he did not regain consciousness and died in hospital early on Monday.
The interior minister initially said Oksinski was driven by far-right extremist views. The national prosecutor’s office has since said it is too early to say whether he was “inspired” by an ideology.
“The minister wanted to win domestic political points. That’s not responsible behaviour,” said Dr Pawel Musialek of Jagiellonian University, referring to the country’s highly polarised political climate.
“So far we’ve seen no clear message that this guy was strongly ideological, and that it’s not more like something from the darknet,” he said.
There has been no mention of a letter or manifesto left by Oksinski. A neighbour told Polish news site Onet that he was “a bit of a loner”, while few people who knew him well have spoken publicly.
Investigators are examining his electronic devices, including his phone, as well as badges attached to his military-style outfit. Prosecutors said a yellow Gadsden flag featuring a coiled snake was displayed in his bedroom. A spokesman said it had “various meanings of freedom and rebellion” and was “not necessarily negative”.
The bodies of Oksinski’s parents and sister were found at his home. He is alleged to have shot them before driving about 200km (125 miles) south to continue the attack in Krakow.
Victims remembered as Poland reviews gun checks
Two days after the shooting, shops and cafes around the Market Square were beginning to fill again, but the mood remained subdued. A “Zara” store was still boarded up after bullets shattered its windows. A local man in his 50s died outside.
Jo, a Scottish tourist, said she saw paramedics arrive “ridiculously fast” as they tried to save him. “It was all pretty grim,” she said. Like many others, she initially mistook the rifle shots for fireworks.
On the opposite side of the square, people stopped to photograph bullet holes in a wall beside another group of flowers.
One of the six victims was identified as a Polish painter in her 50s, a mother of four who was in town with friends for an exhibition opening. A British citizen and an Austrian who died have not been publicly named. Several horse-drawn carriage drivers were seriously injured.
Olha, who works at a nearby chocolate shop, said people were nervous. On Saturday, people ran into the store to escape the gunman as he drove around firing through a window.
Olha, a Ukrainian who moved to Krakow after Russia invaded Ukraine, said: “We left our own country for safety. This is supposed to be a safe place!” She added: “It’s so sad, and so scary. Especially that he drove all the way here for two hours, planning this and thinking about it.”
She regretted that the gunman had not survived: “So many are dead, so many lives have been ruined, and now there will be no justice.”
A search of Oksinski’s car found four firearms and “hundreds of rounds of ammunition”. The weapons were legally owned by him and his father.
Both were members of the Swit Starachowice sports club, which has a shooting range. A club spokesman described Michal Oksinski as unremarkable, with average competition results and normal behaviour. He had visited the club three times that year, most recently in August with his father. The spokesman said the club does not train combat firing, only shooting from a fixed point.
Gun ownership in Poland has grown considerably since war broke out in neighbouring Ukraine. The shooting is the first mass shooting anyone there can remember. The attack has prompted scrutiny of the checks required to own weapons, including psychological tests, which Oksinski passed.
The government announced an urgent review on Monday.
At the place where police intercepted Oksinski’s car and shot him, people left flowers for officers who remain in hospital. A girl named Bianka left a card reading: “Thank you Mr Policemen, get better soon.”
Nearby, bullet holes remained visible in glass. Ania said officer Jakub Kulik, who was shot in the chest, was a hero who “didn’t hesitate”. His condition remains serious. “We’re here to help him fight for his life,” she said.
“Nothing like this has never happened before, it’s terrible,” said a young man named Wojtek. He was relieved that the alleged gunman was Polish, saying the consequences would have been worse because “people here are already against immigration”.
Ania said she believed Poles would recover, although the country’s image as a low-crime oasis had been shattered. She was angry that Michal Oksinski died without answering for the devastation he is alleged to have caused. “I think we deserve to know why,” she said.
