Lucrezia Ciotti The death toll from the Krakow massacre has risen to nine following the hospital death of the 25-year-old accused of opening fire in the city center. The attacker allegedly killed his parents and sister, then spread terror among passersby and tourists. The prosecutor's office is investigating for terrorism, while new details emerge about his past and possible motives for the attack.
Krakow Shooting: The Massacre and the Extremist Motive
The Krakow Prosecutor's Office has opened a terrorism investigation into the massacre , while investigators are delving into the young man's past and associations to reconstruct the motive for the attack . Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski described Oksinski as a person " fascinated by far-right ideologies " with " very radical " and " ultranationalist " beliefs.
At this time, however, no direct links to extremist organizations have been established . The 25-year-old, with no criminal record and a former vocational school student, lived with his parents and sister and had never served in the armed forces, as clarified by Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. However, he had a particular passion for weapons , which he shared with his father: both frequented a shooting range and were members of the facility.
According to the investigation, the boy owned two properly registered weapons , while his father had nine. During the searches, seven firearms were seized from the home, and four more were recovered at the scene of the attack, along with a significant amount of ammunition. At the time of the attack, Oksinski was wearing military-style gear , including a helmet and bulletproof vest, and reportedly used an AR-15 assault rifle.
Krakow's mayor , Lukasz Gibala, has declared a day of mourning until November 11. A message of condolence also arrived from the European Union, from the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, who wrote on X: " In this moment of mourning, Poland is not alone ," expressing her closeness to the families of the victims and the rescuers. Prime Minister Donald Tusk also condemned the incident, calling it an act of terrorism and recalling the gravity of one of the most dramatic shootings to have occurred in the country since the end of the communist regime in 1989.
25-year-old attacker dies in hospital after Krakow massacre: Who was Michal Oksinski?
Michal Oksinski , the 25-year-old Polish man believed to be responsible for the bloody shooting that took place on Saturday, November 7, in central Krakow, died in the early hours of this morning . The young man was seriously injured during a firefight with police officers who intervened in the area of the Main Market Square, where he opened fire on passers-by and tourists. The Małopolskie regional police confirmed his death in a statement published on X: " We inform you that the perpetrator of the tragic events died this morning in hospital ."
Krzysztof Klęczar, regional director, also confirmed the death, specifying that the young man died around 4:30 a.m. The overall death toll from the tragedy has risen to nine: six people were killed during the attack in the city and three others were found dead in the 25-year-old's home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, about a two-hour drive from Krakow. The victims were his 53-year-old father, his 52-year-old mother, and his 20-year-old sister, all of whom were shot.
According to investigators' reconstruction, Oksinski first killed his family members , then moved to the city center and targeted people in the streets. The shooting also injured 15 people , who are currently hospitalized in six hospitals in the city. Among the victims of the attack in the square were four Polish citizens aged between 47 and 61, a 32-year-old British man, and a 51-year-old Austrian woman. The woman's husband was also injured. Two police officers, Jakub Kulik and Artur Moranski, were also involved in the operation, both of whom were injured in the exchange of fire with the attacker.