Polish leaders joined thousands in a silent march through Krakow’s historic Market Square to honour those killed and injured in the weekend’s deadly shooting. President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, long‑time political rivals, led the procession in a rare display of national unity.
As the crowd approached the square, a bugler sounded a solemn tune from the tower, and participants laid flowers and candles at shrines marking each fatality. The atmosphere was one of quiet reverence, reflecting the nation’s shock at the attack, the country’s deadliest in modern times.
The gunman, 24‑year‑old Michal Oksinski, was critically injured in a shoot‑out with police and died in hospital early Monday. Investigators found no manifesto or letter, and the prosecutor’s office has said it is too early to attribute an ideological motive. A neighbour described Oksinski as a “bit of a loner,” and few who knew him have spoken publicly.
Oksinski’s home, where his parents and sister’s bodies were discovered, contained a yellow Gadsden flag with a coiled snake. The flag’s symbolism was described as “freedom and rebellion,” though not necessarily negative. His military‑style outfit was also examined for badges and other clues.
In the days after the attack, shops and cafés around the market square are slowly reopening, though the mood remains subdued. A Zara store remains boarded up after bullet‑riddled glass, and a local man in his 50s died just outside the square. A Scottish tourist, Jo, recalled paramedics arriving “ridiculously fast” to treat a wounded victim.
Source: BBC World
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