Polish Justice Minister Links Krakow Gunman to Right-Wing Extremism
Minister Waldemar Zurek cited Breivik websites and a Gadsden flag found on the suspect, who killed six people in a historic square.
By Oliver Bennett ·
Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek stated that strong evidence points to right-wing extremism as the motive behind the Krakow shooting.
The comments were made on Tuesday regarding the attack that occurred on November 7. Zurek told reporters that investigators found the 24-year-old suspect, Michal Oksinski, had visited websites dedicated to Anders Behring Breivik. Breivik is a Norwegian neo-Nazi who killed 77 people in 2011. The minister also noted that a Gadsden flag was among Oksinski's belongings. This flag features a rattlesnake and is often associated with the American far right.
Oksinski was identified as a factory worker. Police shot him and arrested him minutes after he opened fire from a car in Krakow's main square. He died in a hospital on Monday. A silencer was recovered from the vehicle used in the attack. Six people died in the square. Officials said they also likely killed Oksinski's father, mother, and sister. Their bodies were found in the family home on Saturday.
The identification of the suspect's political leanings has caused a split in Polish politics. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski claimed the gunman was influenced by far-right ideology on Saturday. He made this statement just hours after the incident. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of the Law and Justice party, criticized this remark. He called it a blatant lie. Kaczynski is a nationalist opposition figure. Members of the government seemed to soften their stance on Monday. This shift in tone followed Kierwinski's initial comments.
Michal Wojcik, a lawmaker for the Law and Justice party, expressed anger at Zurek's remarks. He told Reuters that he was outraged by the justice minister's comments. Wojcik said, In my view, representatives of the Polish government are acting dishonestly toward the international community. Kierwinski addressed public radio on Tuesday. He said he was not taking back his earlier statements. He added that he is waiting for the official findings from the investigation team.
