Bloomberg: Poland’s deadliest shooting in years deepens political split

Poland’s deadliest shooting in decades left the country shaken and searching for answers among its deepening political divisions, Bloomberg notes.

The usually bustling old town square in Krakow, Poland’s second-largest city and one of its biggest tourist destinations, was empty and under heavy police presence on Sunday. A day earlier a 24-year-old Polish national, whom the authorities initially described as a far-right radical, killed six people and injured 16 in a shooting rampage from his car.

A later search by police of the suspect’s home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a two-hour drive northeast of Krakow, found three more bodies, which state prosecutors said were his parents and sister. After a shootout with police, the assailant is hospitalized in critical condition.

The shooting, which took place despite Poland’s relatively strict gun laws, happened while a tense political standoff continues between the ruling pro-European Union government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the nationalist opposition backed by President Karol Nawrocki.

The prime minister sought to temper emotions as the country announced two days of national mourning. Authorities are searching for the motives of the shooter, who is believed to have acted alone, with state prosecutors conducting a terrorism probe into the case.

There was no indication from the authorities that the shooter was a supporter of any of Poland’s political parties. Preliminary findings suggested the suspect had been influenced by far-right ideology and held ultra-nationalist views, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said.

The country’s politics have grown increasingly febrile as Poland heads into a general election late next year. Support for far-right fringe parties has increased, with a growing chance they could play the kingmaker role if the current ruling coalition falls short of a majority.

A decision by the Tusk government to send police to the Constitutional Tribunal a week ago opened a fresh chapter in the struggle that has defined the last decade of Poland’s politics. The suspension of the chief justice and his deputy, controversial appointees of the previous nationalist administration, sparked demonstrations in the center of Warsaw as right-wing and conservative parties closed ranks to protest together.

A march led by nationalist forces scheduled to take place on the country’s Independence Day on Wednesday was set to become the next flashpoint in the conflict before the Krakow shooting. President Nawrocki had said he will lead the march, which each year includes white-power advocates and other extremist groups, as a show of strength against government actions at the Constitutional Tribunal.

The main opposition party, Law & Justice, criticized Tusk’s decision to relocate more police to Warsaw to control the court and for the looming march, which usually draws tens of thousands. The move had left Krakow vulnerable, lawmaker Jarosław Sellin said.

“Without the Constitutional Tribunal coup, there wouldn’t have been a Krakow shooting,” Sellin told broadcaster TVN24 on Sunday.

Police said the Krakow suspect, dressed in military gear and a bullet-proof vest, used a rifle resembling an AR-15 and had additional weapons and ammunition in his vehicle.

As the incident unfolded Saturday, witnesses described people running for cover in nearby restaurants and cafés as gunshots rang through the historic streets. A passing tram was also hit but no passengers were injured.

The attacker subsequently left the Main Square, crashed into another vehicle and opened fire on responding police. The officers returned fire, wounding and arresting him.

Two officers were among those injured, one suffering multiple gunshot wounds and remaining in serious condition. One of the casualties was a UK national and five of the wounded were foreigners.

Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz rejected suggestions that the attacker had military connections. Police confirmed that the suspect held a firearms license and had no known criminal record. Investigators are examining possible links to others.

On the bulletproof vest that was found in the car of the man who carried out the mass shooting in Krakow, Poland, there was a chevron of the American PMC Forward Observations Group (FOG). According to the SHOT Telegram channel, this organization is associated with foreign mercenaries who participated in hostilities on the side of Ukraine.

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